A Belarusian Diplomat Has Died Shortly After Meeting With Russian Officials
A recent report suggests that the foreign minister of Belarus, Vladimir Makei, died by suicide just days after returning from a meeting with officials from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s team in Armenia.
While it was initially reported that Makei had died of a heart attack, four unrelated sources cited by the independent Belarusian media outlet Nasha Niva claim that the long-serving minister took his own life because he was upset about the collapse of the political course he was leading. This course Vladimir Makei maintained was that of neutrality regarding Russian aggression in the region. However, neutral countries seldom let others stage war from their lands, and this is precisely what they did in the War in Ukraine. Still, as far as anyone can prove, the Belarusians never fired a shot at the Ukrainians.
But the ability to steer a counties’ neutrality is inherently limited by foreign ministers. Their positions and discretion–especially in a dictatorial state–often degenerate into being no more influential than a yak back, simply reciting poorly crafted anecdotes.
We even see a lack of flexibility with Russian Minister Sergey Lavrov. Who panics when asked deep questions and habitually looks like he’s one word away from “falling from a high window.” And who…
