Publication

According to this commentary, the dispute between Russia and Belarus over energy prices and subsidies has grown worse over the past few years. Basically, Moscow wants to reduce the costs of propping up Belarus and, as a result, is working to cut the latter’s energy subsidies. Minsk, in turn, wants to assert its political independence and yet still benefit from the subsidies. The two countries may have recently papered over this problem, observes this text’s author, but he believes it remains unresolved.