Russia-Belarus rift grows as Putin loses patience

MINSK, Belarus (AP) -- In more than two decades in power, the autocratic leader of Belarus has cast his nation as Moscow's closest ally, securing tens of billions of dollars in Russian subsidies. At the same time, President Alexander Lukashenko has skillfully exploited Russia's security fears by occasionally reaching out to the West to win concessions from Moscow. Now, the Kremlin finally seems to have lost patience with its unruly ally, spelling an end to a relationship that has been described as giving away "oil for kisses." The spiraling conflict between the neighbors has reached such a level that some analysts have talked about Russia possibly staging a "palace...