Russia Reminds Belarus of its Weakness

Russia and Belarus have reached a deal on oil tariffs and a customs union. Disputes over the issue had poisoned relations between the two countries for some time, despite the fact that a series of alliances bind the two together. Ongoing meetings between Russian and Belarusian officials suddenly led to the current deal. According to STRATFOR sources, the Russians used the meetings to show the Belarusians how poor Minsk's bargaining position was.