BELARUS….

President Alyaksandr Lukashenka is trampling out the vintage whine in the run-up to presidential elections, which he announced will take place on September 9. A June 1 meeting with Vladimir Putin failed to generate fresh Russian economic support for the Russia-Belarus Union (RBU), or more specifically for the Belarus end of it. On the contrary. Lukashenka complained to the RBU parliamentary union that Russia acted unilaterally against Belarusan interests when, contrary to provisions of various RBU agreements, it slapped customs duties on Belarusan television sets. And Russia reneged on its promise of credits to support the Belarusan ruble. United States influence on Moscow is to blame, said Lukashenka, who said he would borrow from Libya, where Washington’s writ does not run…. Belarus surely needs the cash. Reserves at the country’s central bank have fallen to $365 million, barely enough to cover import costs for about three weeks.