Belarus’ Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei died by suicide

The pro-West foreign minister of Belarus died by suicide just days after returning from a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s officials in Armenia, according to a new report. 

Long-serving Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei, 64, was reported to have suffered a heart attack when he died suddenly on Nov. 26.

But according to reporting by the independent Belarusian media outlet Nasha Niva, citing four unrelated sources, the liberal-leaning Makei took his own life four days after attending the summit in Armenia.

“Makei’s friends say he was painfully upset by the collapse of the course he was leading,” reported Nasha Niva, adding that those close to him did not believe he was murdered.

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko aimed to replace Makei, who had served as his top diplomat since 2012 and aimed to strengthen relations with the West, according to the news outlet, although it was unclear whether this was at Moscow’s behest. 

“Recently, he has been denied personal attention [from Lukashenko],” Makei’s colleague said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “It was very perceptible to him.”

Another unnamed source was quoted as saying: “He understood that the former high position [he was occupying] was coming to an end. And after his heights, he did not see himself anywhere else.”

Those who knew the foreign minister told the publication that he increasingly felt “unnecessary” and “sometimes simply out of place.”

Ominously, Makei had said seven months before his death: “I don’t remember who said it, but if you are going to be executed, then it is better to be executed for loyalty than for treason.”

News of Makei’s suicide comes on the heels of a report that says Russia plans to take over Belarus, a staunch ally, by 2030, Yahoo News reported Monday, citing a leaked internal strategy document.

“Russia’s goals with regards to Belarus are the same as with Ukraine,” Michael Carpenter, the US ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, told the outlet.

“Only in Belarus, it relies on coercion rather than war. Its end goal is still wholesale incorporation.”

Makei also was experiencing marital problems, Nasha Niva reported. His wife, Vera Polyakova, and their youngest son were not with him when he was found dead.

Lukashenko attended Makei’s funeral on Nov. 29, but Moscow did not send his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, to represent the Kremlin. 

Other reports at the time of Makei’s death claimed he might have been poisoned by Russians whom he met at a Collective Security Treaty Organization summit in Armenia. 

Exiled Russian businessman and opposition activist Leonid Nevzlin alleged that Makei “died as a result of poisoning using a poison developed in an FSB special laboratory.”

He cited sources “close to the Russian special services.” Nevzlin claimed that the effects of the poison resemble those of a heart attack, a stroke or heart failure.

Belarus has refused to disclose full details of Makei’s death other than to suggest he suffered a heart attack. 

One day before his death, Makei met with the Vatican’s envoy, Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Ante Jozic, in what some regarded as part of Belarus’ efforts to mend ties with the West.

In December, he was set to travel to Poland to attend a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a trans-Atlantic security grouping.

“Makei was holding open the window of opportunity for establishing a dialogue with the West, giving Lukashenko some room for maneuver and bargaining with the Kremlin,” said Artyom Shraibman, an independent political analyst. “Makei has earned a reputation as the main pro-Western voice in the Belarusian government, so it’s not surprising that his death has fueled numerous conspiracy theories.”

With Post wires