S&P saw the risk of increasing the dependence of Minsk on Moscow with sanctions

The tightening of Western sanctions against Belarus will contribute to an even greater dependence of the republic on Russia, to the point that MINSK will be forced to make those political concessions to Moscow that it previously refused. This is stated in the review of the rating agency S&P Global, received by RBC.

According to S&P experts, despite the allocation of the second tranche of a $1 billion loan, Russian financial support for Belarus has been declining lately. This is due to the recent contradictions between the two countries.

In some cases, earlier such contradictions led to the suspension of the disbursement of funds under already concluded agreements on credit lines. The latest loans provided by Russia are intended to refinance the debt of Belarus and do not represent the provision of additional credit resources, the review says.

Therefore, it is now unclear to what extent Russia will be able to compensate Belarus for the damage caused by the sanctions, S&P notes.