"Putin's Whisperer Lukashenka Was Let Down Either by 'Older Brothers' or His Own Intuition"
Analyst Alexander Friedman commented on the situation surrounding the alleged drone attack on Putin's residence and "Kremlin insider" Lukashenka.
Photo: Maxim Shipenkov Pool Photo via AP
Previously, Russia accused Ukraine of attacking Putin's residence in the Novgorod region on the night of December 29. But not only Ukraine denied these claims. The CIA found no evidence that Ukraine targeted Putin or his residence during its drone strike. And Donald Trump reposted an article titled "Putin's Bluster About 'Strike' on Him Shows Russia Is the Obstacle to Peace."
Analyst Alexander Friedman reflects on this:
"The Kremlin, it seems, fell victim to its own overconfidence and miscalculated with a cheap and very clumsy provocation. Let's see how Trump will behave now, who himself doesn't mind lying or exaggerating, but is clearly not thrilled to be treated like an idiot. For Trump, this is a kind of George W. Bush moment, who also for a time genuinely wanted to believe 'dear Vladimir' who shamelessly lied to his face. Perhaps the first lesson of 2026 for Russian leaders will be learning the meaning of the proverb 'he who laughs last, laughs best': supporters of a tougher course towards Russia in the Trump administration (Marco Rubio), Ukraine, and its European partners now have a good chance to gain the upper hand."
Friedman continues:
"In this regard, the story of 'Putin's whisperer' Lukashenka is also interesting; he rushed to defend the Russian president and tried to once again act as an insider from the Kremlin. He was let down – either by his own intuition, or by his 'older brothers' from Moscow. He didn't earn any additional points on the American front yesterday: sometimes it's better to be silent than to speak. Especially in the case of 'Valdai forest tales'."
Lukashenka called the alleged drone attack on Putin's residence "the wildest terrorism at the highest state level."
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