Belarus leader's controversial Mongolia visit sparks societal divide

Since the beginning of June, Alexander Lukashenko has been on a diplomatic trip, during which he visited Mongolia for four days. The Belarusian leader was received there with great honours; however, the visit did not avoid controversy. Among them is, for example, a man running in the city centre with a Ukrainian flag.

The official diplomatic visit of the President of Belarus to Mongolia began on Saturday, June 1st. This event is significant because it further enhances trade and economic relations between the two countries.

However, it turns out that from the very beginning, Lukashenko's arrival in Ulaanbaatar was associated with many scandals. This started even before the arrival, as an investigation by EU Reporter from 2020 showed that it is there where the Belarusian regime is laundering money.

To make matters worse, former President of Mongolia Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj added fuel to the fire. He called Alexander Lukashenko a person responsible for "crimes against humanity". At the same time, he called for the arrest of the President of Belarus.

As it turns out, this is not the only act of opposition to hosting the Belarusian leader in the capital. A few days ago, a video appeared online showing a man suddenly running with a Ukrainian flag on the main square in the city. Unfortunately, it was taken from him by a police officer shortly afterwards.

However, this situation shows how polarised Mongolian society is. On the one hand, there are officials who are trying to further tie themselves to the Belarusian and Russian regimes, while on the other hand, ordinary people criticise the war actions.

Despite public opposition, the government does not cease to seek closer ties with Belarus, as evidenced by this visit. A bilateral agreement was to be signed to expand cooperation between the countries.