A top Belarusian official who led a failed attempt to thaw diplomatic relations between the country’s Kremlin allied government and the West, died suddenly over the weekend. Belarus government agencies and state media said last year, amid growing speculation about his country’s involvement in the war in neighboring Ukraine.
Vladimir Makei served 10 years as the foreign minister of Belarus, a key geopolitical battleground between Russia and the West. State media reported on Saturday that Mr Makei had passed away at the age of 64 without mentioning his cause of death.
The silent reaction from officials and the state-controlled media contrasts Mr. Makei’s status as one of the most prominent Belarusian officials of modern times and one of its allies. The country’s longest-serving top dictator, Aleksandr Lukashenko.
The lack of details, while not unusual under Mr. Lukashenko’s covert regime, has prompted a flurry of speculation among media commentators about Mr. Makei’s cause of death.
As foreign minister, Mr. Makei led his country’s outreach to the West, which Lukashenko attempted against Russia in order to maintain political power in the country.
A reserve colonel in the army fluent in English and German, Mr. Makei is one of the few high-ranking Belarusian officials who can move between nationalist hardliners and gender elites. European diplomacy, making him a valuable member of Lukashenko’s team, said Pavel Slunkin, a Belarusian political analyst who worked under Makei in the foreign ministry.
“Through him, Lukashenko found his way to the West,” Slunkin said of Makei.
Mr. Makei’s diplomatic efforts were reversed by Mr. Lukashenko’s decision suppress the opposition and brutally suppressed mass protests after controversial elections in 2020. That made the foreign minister, in the eyes of many Belarusians, a symbol of gradual political change that was never meant to be. happen, Mr. Slunkin said.
Western sanctions in response to Mr. Lukashenko’s campaign of repression have made Belarus increasingly dependent on Russia and a key ally of President Vladimir V. Putin.
Mr. Putin used Belarus as a springboard for the invasion of Ukraine in February. The Russian military has used Belarusian territory to train troops and treat wounded fighters, resupply their forces in Ukraine, and launch attacks on Ukrainian cities, leaving many people dead. in Belarus are concerned that their country is slowly moving forward direct confrontation with a neighbor to the south. And Moscow was late put pressure on Mr. Lukashenko to participate more in the military campaign faltered side by side.
Mr. Makei was scheduled to meet his Russian counterpart, Sergey V. Lavrov, later this week.
Mr. Lukashenko has not commented on Mr. Makei’s death. The state news agency, Belta, on Saturday published a one line story said the president sent his condolences to the Makei family.
Mr. Lukashenko has yet to announce a replacement for Mr. Makei. Analysts believe this choice could give an indication of how much the president is willing to forge an alliance with Russia.
