Do you remember what "greetings from Moscow" Lukashenko brought to his military when he returned from there on May 9? That trip and long communication with the "older brothers" cost the position of the previous chief of the General Staff - Major-General Viktor Gulevich. He was considered an opponent of active participation of Belarus and the Belarusian army in the war against Ukraine.
It is not surprising that Lukashenko received an order in Moscow to remove the unreliable Gulevich from his post.
But there is no empty place and today Lukashenko filled it. Major-General Pavel Muraveiko, famous for his statement about the right of Belarus to cut the Suvalkov corridor through Lithuania to Kalingrad by force of arms in response to the imposed sanctions, became the new chief of the General Staff.
Muraveika is an active supporter and propagandist of the war against Ukraine. Back in 2022, he openly stated that Belarus was involved in the so-called "special operation" and was "performing some functions".
In addition, he is a graduate of the Russian General Staff Academy and a protégé of Moscow's appointee Alexander Volfovich - State Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus. Prior to his appointment as Chief of the General Staff, Muraveiko was his first deputy.
So now another pro-Russian general gets into the highest echelons of the military leadership. And it happens on the first day of Putin's surprise visit to Minsk. Interesting coincidences, isn't it? Immediately after his visit to Moscow, Lukashenko removed Gulevich, and appointed Muraveiko by Putin's arrival.
We should also recall the information released a week ago by the Community of Railwaymen of Belarus about the preparation of the Belarusian railroad to receive Russian military echelons.
And the recent warning of the National Bank about the risks of inflation and devaluation and the possibility of launching the printing press. With what do they plan to ensure the release of freshly printed cash into circulation? Obviously, they are counting on Russia. But how to settle accounts with Russia?
In 2022, Lukashenko's regime paid by providing territory, infrastructure and rear support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It paid and continues to pay by transferring the Belarusan military-industrial complex and economy to military rails to meet the needs of the Russian army.
But the stakes are growing. The appointment of another pro-Russian general Muraveiko to the post of the Chief of the General Staff, timed to coincide with Putin's visit, shows that they are growing fast.
Putin is already in Minsk. And he will probably name his price.
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