Comments by "Grenade Tennis" (@hughjass1044) on "Could Belarus Be Putin’s Consolation Prize? - VisualPolitik EN" video.

  1. Here in Canada, there's kind of a running joke that comes up now and again, depending on the situation, that one day, the US will just absorb us and make us the 51st state. To this, many people reply that it wouldn't be worth their while to do so since if they did, they'd be responsible for us and have to look after us and since they already control everything of importance anyway.... the narrative goes.... and we're no threat to them, why bother, as the other old joke goes, "buying the cow when you already get the milk for free?" As you say, Russia already controls everything of even marginal importance in Belarus and their leader is a reliable and loyal puppet. I have a friend who is Belorussian and he's explained to me several times that Putin isn't really bothered at all by former Soviet states, including Ukraine, being sovereign countries since he doesn't view that distinction the same way we would. He looks at things in terms of him being in control of anything in his neighborhood which he covets. In short, you answer to him and do what you're told, when you're told, and in other matters, do what you want. If you refuse, "nice little country you've got there. Be a shame if anything happened to it." If Ukraine had decided to follow the same path as Belarus... or more accurately, Lukashenko's Belarus, all would have been fine but they did not and likewise, if the Belorussian people had been successful in toppling Lukashenko, Ukraine's fate would likely also have been Belarus's
    1