It’s good to keep in mind that Lukašenka tried to take over the Russian Federation in the end of 1990’s.
That’s why it signed the very tight coöperation agreement. His idea was that Belarus and the Russia will become one state and its leader will be Aljaksand Lukašenka. Then KGB (FSB) managed to get Putin into power, thus blocking Lukašenka’s way to the power he had strived for.

However, now the Union Agreement had been signed, and the Russia suddenly had much of the power over Belarus that Lukašenka had planned to have over the Russia. Putin is absolutely aware that Lukašenka had tried that scheme, and they are not really very close friends to each other. Putin hasn’t been able to get Lukašenka sacked, because any follower would have been likely to be democratic, so he has had to tolerate Lukašenka. Lukašenka has been dancing on a knife’s edge for the last 25 years, trying to keep the Russia from taking over Belarus the way he had planned a takeover. At the same time be nice enough to Putin that he’ll need you in power, and keep Belarus as independent from the Russia as possible.

I see this merely as one thing among many where Belarus is trying to regulate the distance between itself and the Russia. This has never meant that it stops being tightly connected to the Russia, and I don’t think it means that this time, either.

Lukašenka also sees that the Russia is about to lose a war. He also knows that he won’t live very long anymore. Once the Russia is gone, it might be best for Belarus to be allowed to move into democratic hands. And at that point it’s important that the relationship with the west has not been completely soured.

@Sunshine Since this guy made a video about it, it is no longer quietly /s