Belarus: Putin’s Close European Ally

Belarus' brutally repressive dictator, Alexander Lukashenko, has teamed up with Putin—with serious consequences for Europe’s security.

• The Eastern European country of Belarus, which borders Russia and Ukraine, has been run by strongman Alexander Lukashenko—referred to as “Europe’s last dictator”—for more than a quarter century.
• Lukashenko, long an ally of Russian President Vladmir Putin, has become increasingly isolated from the West since 2020, when Belarusians took to the streets to partake in pro-Democracy protests.
• Lukashenko’s security forces responded with brutal repression, jailing activists and opposition politicians. The US and Europe reacted with sanctions targeting the Belarusian regime.
• Lukashenko’s isolation from the West forced him further into the arms of Putin. The Kremlin provided Lukashenko with political and financial support. But it came with a price.
• In return for Russian aid, Lukashenko is now playing a support role in the Kremlin’s campaign to destabilize Europe. That began last year, when Lukashenko weaponized migration against the EU.
• It was a move analysts characterized as a “hybrid war.” Lukashenko intentionally sent migrants and refugees from the Middle East and Afghanistan over the border into Poland.
• Now, Lukashenko is helping Putin threaten an invasion of Ukraine by allowing Russian troops to enter the country for what both leaders claim are joint military exercises.
• But Russian troops in Belarus are now positioned within striking distance of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv—effectively making Belarus a staging ground for a potential Russian invasion.
• It’s likely not the last time Lukashenko will help Putin undermine Europe. Today, our reading explores the dictator’s assisting role, and highlights some brave Belarusian efforts to oppose him.