Russian concerns include international sanctions that supposedly allow Belarus to take advantage of the market by producing products of inferior quality.

[10] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced Lukashenko's intentions to boycott the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) summit held in Moscow.

[12] Following the lifting of the ban, Andrew Wilson of the think-tank European Council on Foreign Relations declared Lukashenko the winner of the Milk War, but expressed concerns about Belarus's long-term survival.

[6] In July 2009, the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a travel warning stating that citizens should only enter Abkhazia and South Ossetia through Georgia.

[13] During a September 2009 meeting in Lithuania, Lukashenko stated that Belarus should have recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent long ago to support Russia.

"[14] In October 2009, Lukashenko praised Belarus's relations with Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and stated that he needed to study their situation before deciding to recognize their independence.

[14] Later in the month, Lukashenko expressed his opinion that Russia had no other choice but to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia independence based on "their rights to self-determination".

[16] In December 2010, leaked US diplomatic cables indicated that Lukashenko had complained about the EU not giving him enough credit for resisting Russian pressure to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

[17] The cables also indicated that Lukashenko expressed concerns that rising Russian gas prices would force Belarus to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

[21] A week later, Russia signed "multibillion dollar economic and arms trade deals" with Venezuela, described by the Jamestown Foundation as a "recognition fee".

[21] In December 2009, Nauru became the fourth state to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent, which Georgia alleged was in return for a $50 million investment from Russia.

[20] Oliver Bullough, writing for The New Republic, stated that Tuvalu's decision "could spell the end of a years-long diplomatic strategy that has cost Russia millions.

[24] In August 2013, Vladislav Baumgertner, CEO of Russian potash producer Uralkali, was arrested in Minsk for involvement in an alleged criminal scheme after Belarus invited him for talks.

[26] The ban was seen as an effort to put political pressure on Lithuania, which then held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, for planning to host an EU summit that would offer closer economic ties to several post-Soviet states.

[26] Russia announced in December 2013 its intentions to lift the ban after Lithuania threatened to file a complaint to the World Trade Organization about a "milk war".

[29] In June 2017, Russia placed a ban on cheese produced by Belarusian companies Belsyr and Shchuchin Creamery, citing fraud with labeling inconsistencies.

On February 16, 2018, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov met with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and expressed his concerns that local farmers were suffering losses because dairy production had been shifted to cheaper labor for milk powder in Belarus.

[33] On February 20, Medvedev made a public call for Russia to prioritize its domestic dairy industry, specifically in Tatarstan, instead of depending on other Eurasian Economic Union members.

[29] Deputy of the State Duma Ayrat Khairullin raised his suspicions that Belarusian dairy products which entered Russia for delivery to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan were instead being illegally delivered to Russian plants, citing irregularities in transport.

[34] In the address, Lukashenko called out "those milk, meat, and sugar wars our closest partner has launched against us in order to block our goods from entering the Russian market".