Belarus | Council on Foreign Relations

Europe and Eurasia

Belarus in Crisis

Two months after Alexander Lukashenko claimed victory in the presidential election, protestors in Belarus continue to take to the street to voice their discontent over the election’s legitimacy. Crackdowns against the protests have become increasingly violent, and most opposition leaders have either been jailed or have fled abroad. Speakers discuss the state of democracy in Belarus and the implications of this crisis for U.S.-Belarus and U.S.-Russia relations.

Virtual Event by Oksana Antonenko, Yauheni Preiherman and Artyom Shraibman October 23, 2020
Women and Women's Rights

Women This Week: Women Arrested in Belarus

Welcome to “Women Around the World: This Week,” a series that highlights noteworthy news related to women and U.S. foreign policy. This week’s post covers September 19 to September 25.

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for Women Around the World September 24, 2020 Women Around the World
Women and Women's Rights

Women This Week: Women Protest in Belarus

Welcome to “Women Around the World: This Week,” a series that highlights noteworthy news related to women and U.S. foreign policy. This week’s post covers the months of July and August.

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for Women Around the World September 11, 2020 Women Around the World

United Nations General Assembly

A Virtual UNGA, Lukashenko and Putin Meet, and More

The seventy-fifth UN General Assembly kicks off virtually, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, and the European Union and China hold a scaled-down summit in Leipzig, Germany.

Podcast with James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon September 10, 2020 The World Next Week
Demonstrations and Protests

The Belarus Protests, With Stephen Sestanovich

Ambassador Stephen Sestanovich, CFR’s George F. Kennan senior fellow for Russian and Eurasian studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the political protests in Belarus.

Podcast with James M. Lindsay and Stephen Sestanovich September 8, 2020 The President's Inbox
U.S. Foreign Policy

Republicans’ Virtual National Convention, Mali’s Coup D’état, and More

The U.S. Republican Nominating Convention kicks off, a coup in Mali shakes West Africa, and postelection protests persist in Belarus.

Podcast with James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon August 20, 2020 The World Next Week
Belarus

Putin and Belarus: Five Reasons Not to Save Lukashenko

Vladimir Putin is no fan of democracy movements in Russia’s neighborhood, but trying to turn off the protests in Belarus will be risky.

In Brief by Stephen Sestanovich August 17, 2020 Europe Program
Belarus

Belarus’s Presidential Election, Anti-Kremlin Protests Persist, and More

Belarusians go to the polls, discontent simmers in eastern Russia, and Japan remembers the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki amid discussions of the country’s long-term national security strategy.

Podcast with James M. Lindsay and Sheila A. Smith August 6, 2020 The World Next Week
Belarus

Postscript: Belarusians Go To the Polls

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenka is expected to sweep polls March 19 in a presidential election few anticipate will be free or fair.

Backgrounder by Lionel Beehner June 15, 2006
Elections and Voting

Belarus Opposition Candidate Kozulin: ’We’re Fed Up’ With Dictatorship

In light of a disappointing performance by the Belarus democratic opposition, dissident Alexander Kozulin tells cfr.org his supporters will never stop trying to liberalize society in the former Soviet republic.

Interview with Alexander Kozulin and Lionel Beehner March 22, 2006
Elections and Voting

Shushkevich: Belarusian Election A Farce

One of the Belarusian opposition’s few elder statesmen, Stanislav Shushkevich, says the March 19 presidential polls were “absolutely falsified.” In an interview with cfr.org from Minsk, he discusses the election, life in Belarus under President Alexander Lukashenka, and prospects for a peaceful revolt similar to those in Ukraine or Georgia.

Interview with Lionel Beehner and Stanislav Shushkevich March 20, 2006
Belarus

Glacel: Belarusian Opposition Gaining Speed but No Revolution in Sight

Amid signs of slipping popularity, Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenka is expected to win a new presidential term on March 19. An official with a prominent Western polling group tells cfr.org Lukashenka is gaining less support from educated, urban youth but will still likely claim a commanding victory.

Interview with Sarah Glacel and Lionel Beehner March 15, 2006