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"On Point"
MINSK, 17 December (BelTA) – The shift in Minsk-Washington relations can be linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s intention to steer the United States back to a normal foreign policy course, Russian political scientist, PhD in Political Science Dmitry Evstafiev said in the latest episode of the V Teme [On Point] project on BelTA’s YouTube channel.
The expert pointed out that the shift in relations between Minsk and Washington occurred long before the talks between Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko and U.S. Special Envoy John Coale on 12-13 December. “We have been observing a shift in the stance on Belarus from Trump (meaning Trump personally) and his closest associates for a while. Essentially, Trump, being a businessman at heart, is trying to get rid of the legacy of the Biden’s team era that goes beyond standard diplomatic practice between states, even when profound political differences with a country’s leadership exist,” Dmitry Evstafiev said.
In his opinion, U.S. President Donald Trump is more of a businessman than a pragmatist. “There’s a world of difference between a pragmatist and a businessman, and very few from the latter ever make that leap.”
Nevertheless, the political scientist believes, the head of the White House approaches many issues in an extremely rational way. “What is the point, for instance, of having such tense relations with a country in the center of Europe, regardless of one’s views on its leadership? Why indulge in personal insults that, frankly speaking, have frequently targeted Aleksandr Lukashenko from U.S. officials, to say nothing of Europeans. But that’s a conversation for another time,” he added.
Dmitry Evstafiev noted that following the talks between Aleksandr Lukashenko and John Coale, the issue concerning a group of individuals considered political prisoners by the USA was resolved. “They have cleared away a source of tension. It is a small but significant move. Thus, this is simply a return to the normal foreign policy,” the political analyst emphasized. “This is not yet the policy of the United States itself, because their foreign policy and diplomacy are a collective effort, including Congress and so on.”
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