Why did Makei remain in the system after 2020 and did he try to stop the repressions?

Why did Makei stay with Lukashenka in 2020? Bushyla says they didn't discuss it with Makei.

"I think he still allowed for the possibility of rolling things back a bit, (...) at least partially. Second - what was the alternative for him?" the ex-diplomat reflects.

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Host Nasta Roudza notes that he could have joined the popular protest, like Pavel Latushka. And, perhaps, then history would have unfolded differently, more officials would have followed Makei against the system.

"This is theorizing, we don't know. These are our conjectures and assumptions. We place responsibility on a person simply because we ourselves failed," says Bushyla.

After his dismissal, the diplomat contacted Makei twice.

"The first time was when I met with the ambassador of a Western country in Minsk. And she told me that it was now impossible to contact anyone from the ministry, impossible to convey any messages. She asked me if I could convey a message with a proposal to go to Vienna, so that a round table could be held in Vienna between Lukashenka and the opposition, in order to find ways out of the political crisis that was unfolding at that moment.

Read also: Viachorka revealed the chronology of an attempt to organize non-public negotiations with Minsk to de-escalate the situation

I wrote to Uladzimir Makei's driver. I didn't know how he would react. But he immediately conveyed that he was ready to meet with me. And we met. I conveyed this message from the Western countries. I said: well, where is all this heading? It was clear that he was very worried about all this.

I understand that he raised this topic several times in conversations with Aliaksandr Lukashenka, that something needed to be done to stop this chaos."

Bushyla saw Makei a second time at the funeral of Aleh Krauchanka — Deputy Foreign Minister, who died of coronavirus in 2020.

Why did Makei do nothing to reduce the scale of repressions, the host asked.

"I think he did, but his influence significantly declined then. Completely different people started managing all processes. Lukashenka stopped being interested in maintaining relations with the European Union and the USA.

His main goal became to retain his power. Therefore, he did not listen to representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who could present arguments to save the country from the situation it is currently in."

Bushyla believes that Russia would not have agreed to Makei's candidacy in Lukashenka's place, as it saw him as a threat.

"They saw that Uladzimir Makei was called the architect of détente, and I think that didn't please the authorities in Moscow very much."

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