Asafov on Russia-Belarus Ties and Ukraine’s Divergence

A political scientist and observer of the Moscow Talks, Alexander Asafov, discussed the relations between Russia and Belarus on People’s Unity Day, celebrated on April 2, and offered insight into why Ukraine adopted a different stance. He noted that the two neighboring nations have experienced marked shifts in their interactions. At times there has been difficult communication and a series of disagreements, yet there has also been a history of solidarity between two fraternal peoples that has guided their cooperation as allied states. He contrasted this with a period following the disintegration of the Soviet Union when Turkey found itself in a fundamentally opposite position, one of rupture and hostility.