When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

TOPIC: alexander lukashenko

FOCUS: Russia-Ukraine War

How Russia And Belarus Are Cracking Down On Exiles — And A Passport Fix To Fight Back

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko is making it impossible for citizens who've fled the country to renew their passports, which may make some effectively stateless. What are some possible solutions?

Under strict new measures introduced by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, foreign embassies may no longer issue documents to Belarusians. This will make it impossible for Belarusians outside of the country to renew passports unless they return — which could lead to criminal prosecution for some who fled after the 2020 protests.

Stay up-to-date with the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war, with our exclusive international coverage.

Sign up to our free daily newsletter.

Russia, on the other hand, has adopted a different approach to encourage the return of its citizens abroad. After considering a 30% tax on emigrants' income, they settled on a 13% personal income tax rate.

Watch VideoShow less

Putin And Lukashenko, Sowing Seeds Of Discord Between Ukraine And Its Ally Poland

Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and longtime ally Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko have issued statements accusing Poland of having territorial ambitions in Ukraine. It's a worrying development that opens the door to military confrontation with NATO — and the looming presence of Wagner troops isn't making things easier.

In a notable escalation of rhetoric, Russian President Vladimir Putin recently accused Poland of having territorial ambitions in Ukraine and Belarus, stating that any action taken against Belarus would be treated as an attack on Russian territory. The statement, deemed to be a reaction to Poland deploying troops to guard its eastern border, came just days after the NATO Summit in neighboring Lithuania.

Stay up-to-date with the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war, with our exclusive international coverage.

Sign up to our free daily newsletter.

“Aggression against Belarus will mean aggression against the Russian Federation,” Putin stated at a Security Council meeting, adding that Russia “will respond to it with all means at our disposal”. He also referred to Western Polish lands as “a gift from Stalin”, stating that the Russian Federation “will remind” Warsaw of this.

According to Russian independent news site Agenstvo (agents.media), this was the first time Putin laid out a potential scenario that could serve as a justification for military confrontation between Russia and NATO.

Poland, a NATO member state, has been increasing security along its border with Belarus in response to the presence of Wagner troops within Belarus since Yevgeny Prigozhin was exiled there. A major part of the group’s mercenaries also headed to Belarus, where they set up military camps and are expected to lead joint exercises with the Belarusian army.

In March of this year, Putin stated that Russia would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus with the first warheads already delivered in June. There have also been rumors of a potential state of emergency to be declared along the border region in response to the ongoing migrant crisis, which has been taking place since 2021.

Keep reading...Show less

Why Is The “Traitor” Prigozhin Already Back In Russia?

The post-coup mystery continues with reports that Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin is not, in fact, in Belarus, but in Russia. A look at what it says about Vladimir Putin's hold on power.

-Analysis-

Betrayals aren't what they used to be.

Less than a month ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared on television talking about a "stab in the back."

We were already imagining the culprit's likely punishment: Novichok, the chemical poison that eliminated former spy Sergei Skripal. Some people advised Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group who had launched an aborted coup attempt against Putin, to let someone else taste his tea before drinking it.

Stay up-to-date with the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war, with our exclusive international coverage.

Sign up to our free daily newsletter.

Now, the Wagner boss, exiled to Belarus after his brief march on Moscow, is already back in Russia. He is reported to be in Saint Petersburg, or possibly even in the capital.

Keep reading...Show less

First Up-Close Look At New Wagner Camps In Belarus, Training Has Begun

After Wagner's aborted coup and relocation to Belarus come the first reports and images of military camps, including one in Asipovichi, a town south of Minsk. What does this mean for the still unstable situation in Russia? For the war in Ukraine? And the role of Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko?

-Analysis-

Militants of the Wagner private military company, who led an insurrection against Moscow on June 24, have settled in camps in Belarus, according to the Russian-language Grey Zone telegram channel, which is associated with the mercenary company.

“Some of the Wagner units have already begun their training process,” the report specified. “For example, they are practicing tank maneuvers and maneuvers with heavy equipment at the firing range located a few kilometers to the south and are also practicing assault operations under artillery cover, including during the night.”

The report says three Wagner bases will be built in Belarus. One of them will be in Asipovichi, a town south of Minsk. Independent Russian media outlet Verstkareported that the camp is capable of accommodating 8,000 Wagner troops.

Keep reading...Show less
FOCUS: Russia-Ukraine War
Vladimir Solovyov

"How I Saved Putin" — Lukashenko Emboldened, Pushes For Power Broker Role

Alexander Lukashenko recounts how he took charge of the operation to defend Moscow from Yevgeny Prigozhin, and looks to shift the region's balance of power. "I am as much a participant in these events as Putin. So if someone in Russia talks about Lukashenko mediating, there is no mediation!"

MOSCOW — Relations between Russia and Belarus have reached a new level: Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko is now stepping in to resolve internal Russian conflicts.

On Tuesday, he recounted how he had prevented a bloodbath that could have turned into a march on Moscow by Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagnerites mercenary forces. Along the way, he even supervised Russian federal officials and was rewarded with a commendation from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Both Russia and Belarus continue to comment on Saturday's "march of justice" in Moscow, organized by Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin. The events, which Russian officials (including the president himself) called "mutiny," "treason," and "a stab in the back," ended rather quickly, but people were killed: Wagner fighters shot down several helicopters and a plane. No precise official data about the shooting has yet emerged.

Stay up-to-date with the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war, with our exclusive international coverage.

Sign up to our free daily newsletter.

When Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on the recent events on Monday, he made a special point of thanking the leader of Belarus. "I am grateful to Belarusian President Alexander Grigorievich Lukashenko for his efforts and contribution to the peaceful resolution of the situation."

Late Tuesday, at a previously scheduled military ceremony, Lukashenko gave his first detailed accounting of this past weekend, taking credit for preventing bloodshed. "By Saturday morning at eight o'clock, I already receive alarming information about the situation in Russia. I get a report: President Putin wants to get in touch. Please. We agreed at 9:30 that we would talk at any time convenient for him. At 10:10, he called and informed me in detail about the situation in Russia," said Lukashenko.

The conversation, by all appearances, was long. Lukashenko asked Vladimir Putin to refrain from drastic actions concerning the Wagnerites marching on Moscow and volunteered to talk to Yevgeny Prigozhin.

"Listen, Sasha; it's no use," Putin said, using a nickname for the Belarus leader. "He doesn't even pick up the phone; he doesn't want to talk to anyone."

Watch VideoShow less
FOCUS: Russia-Ukraine War
Anna Akage

Is Lukashenko Sick? Putin Too? Why Ukraine Won't Be Waiting For Dictators To Die

A spate of speculation on the health of Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko follows similar reports about would-be Vladimir Putin illnesses. Such talk feeds the hope of the Russian opposition and many in the West. Ukrainians have a different agenda — and timetable.

-Analysis-

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko was not enjoying the parade.

Appearing in Moscow’s Red Square for the May 9 Victory Day celebration, the 68-year-old strongman looked quite ill, and wore a bandage on his arm.

Stay up-to-date with the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war, with our exclusive international coverage.

Sign up to our free daily newsletter.

He missed the Kremlin breakfast and didn't take the walk with Vladimir Putin and other heads of state across the Square to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, reaching it by electric car instead, reports independent Russian news outlet Agents.Media reports reports.

When he then missed the Belarus celebration of the Day of the State Flag, Emblem and Anthem, rumors started to circulate that Lukashenko might have a serious health problem.

And for nearly a week, he vanished.

Watch VideoShow less
FOCUS: Russia-Ukraine War
Igar Ilyash

Nuclear Card And Firing Squads: Lukashenko's Long Game To Retain Power

A few weeks after an explosion at a military field in Belarus, Vladimir Putin announced plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. There is a connection, even if Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko is walking a tight rope of domestic control and keeping Putin satisfied.

-Analysis-

Back on the afternoon of February 26, local Belarus media reported explosions at the military airfield in Machulishchy, near Minsk, and increased activity of military services. Soon after, the BYPOL association, created by former security forces to fight the regime of Alexander Lukashenko,, announced that Belarusian partisans had used drones to attack a Russian A-50U long-range radar detection aircraft.

Stay up-to-date with the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war, with our exclusive international coverage.

Sign up to our free daily newsletter.

Neither Minsk nor Moscow acknowledged that such a valuable aircraft had been disabled. However, a few days later, the A-50U left the territory of Belarus for repairs.

The day after the explosions, Lukashenko convened a meeting of the security forces. He looked agitated, demanding "the strictest discipline" and spoke vaguely about some "internal events" and attempts to "stir up" the situation in Belarus. The Belarusian authorities publicly acknowledged the sabotage only on March 7.

That same day, Lukashenko accused the Ukrainian special services of organizing the terrorist attack in Machulishchy. "Well, the challenge has been met," he declared, before quickly clarifying that he did not intend to use the incident to draw Belarus into war. "If you think that throwing this challenge will drag us into a war that is already going on all over Europe, you are mistaken."

Watch VideoShow less
FOCUS: Russia-Ukraine War
Igar Ilyash

Alliance Or Annexation: What Are Putin's Ultimate Plans For Belarus?

Putin has stated in the past that Ukraine and Belarus should be a part of the Russian Federation. But his plans in Belarus have been postponed by war on the other neighbor, and the shrinking room for maneuver of Minsk's strongman Alexander Lukashenko

-Analysis-

MINSK — A document was recently leaked to the press that was reportedly commissioned two years ago by the Russian presidential administration: "Strategic Goals of the Russian Federation on the Belarusian Direction."

This plan provides for the complete subordination of Belarus's political, economic, and cultural life by 2030. Belarusian laws are to be brought in line with Russian regulations, the Russian language is to dominate over the Belarusian language, and the influence of "pro-Western nationalist forces" is to be limited.

Stay up-to-date with the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war, with our exclusive international coverage.

Sign up to our free daily newsletter.

A separate section is devoted to "passportization" — that is, the issuing Russian identity documents to Belarusians under a simplified procedure. At the final stage, the plan envisages forming a common legal system, introducing a single currency, total control over the information field, completely unifying the customs and tax space, and creating a common command system of the armed forces.

Interestingly, Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko did not deny the reality of the document, adding that he didn't see anything outrageous in the Kremlin's plans.

Watch VideoShow less
Geopolitics
Pierre Haski

Why All Sides Are Calling For Peace Talks In Ukraine, And Nobody Means It

Russia says it's willing to negotiate for peace in Ukraine, but won't make any territorial concessions; meanwhile, China presents a half-baked peace plan. It's a masterclass in talking out of both sides of your mouth.

-Analysis-

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this week that Russia was in favor of negotiation to end the war in Ukraine. But in the same breath, he added that there would be "no compromise" on what he described as "new territorial realities" — that is, the Russian annexation of parts of Ukraine.

Stay up-to-date with the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war, with our exclusive international coverage.

Sign up to our free daily newsletter.

A perfect example of how to say you are ready to negotiate, while also saying you are not.

This trickery neatly sums up the situation. At this stage, no one is truly prepared to negotiate, but at the same time, they must act as if they are, to avoid looking like the one standing in the way of peace. This applies to Russia, which is still trying to use force to take over the entire Donbas region — only some of which remains under its control.

Watch VideoShow less
FOCUS: Russia-Ukraine War
Serhii Baglai

The Lukashenko Method: How Long Can Belarus Keep Teasing The Russian Bear?

The regime in Belarus bet on a rapid Russian victory in Ukraine. But after a year of war, the armed forces of Belarus still haven't been ordered to attack. Why? Ukrainian publication Livy Bereg looks at Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's cunning game — and how much longer it can go on.

-Analysis-

KYIV — When it comes to his Russian neighbor, Alexander Lukashenko appears to be a walking contradiction: he is a firm supporter of the war in Ukraine, and yet continues to stand by his decision not to send troops.

And yet such an apparent anomaly is nothing new for the Belarus strongman: political scientists had already dubbed his leadership style "adaptive authoritarianism," whereby ruling elites in Minsk use opportunistic and pragmatic strategies to maintain power over time.

Stay up-to-date with the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war, with our exclusive international coverage.

Sign up to our free daily newsletter.

This has largely succeeded since Lukashenko came to power in 1994, despite long-term predictions of the president’s imminent demise. Maneuvering between the EU and Russia and putting his eggs in different baskets, Lukashenko has managed not only to run the country like a collective farm, as some observers sometimes dismissively describe it, but also to adapt skillfully to new challenges.

The first sanctions against Belarus were imposed in 1996, in response to a fraudulent referendum that expanded presidential powers. But the EU lifted sanctions by 1999. The president, whose legitimacy was not recognized, released political prisoners, allowing relations between Belarus and Europe to warm.

Over the next decades of Lukashenko's tenure, a similar pattern was repeated many times. Another round of sanctions was imposed as a result of the rigged presidential election in 2010, then eased a few years later as Minsk offered its services in negotiations after the Russian annexation of Crimea.

After 2020, when Belarus was rocked by the largest protests in its history, many political commentators who were tempted to predict a long-awaited change of power were wrong in their assessments of the regime's stability. Lukashenko's ability to adapt was hugely underestimated.

Still, no dictatorship lasts forever.

Watch VideoShow less
Russia
Anna Akage

The Next Big Move? What Would Happen If Belarus Enters War Against Ukraine

As the war in Donbas is bogged down, the most likely major new gambit in Vladimir Putin’s ambitions in Ukraine would be to get military support from his ally in Minsk, Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko. How would that actually go down?

This article was updated Oct. 12 at 1:00 p.m EST

What will Lukashenko do? It’s a high-stakes corollary to the even higher stakes "what-will-Putin-do" question that has been weighing on the world since the beginning of the year.

Stay up-to-date with the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war, with our exclusive international coverage.

Sign up to our free daily newsletter.

Few doubt that the role of Belarus and its leader Alexander Lukashenko — the 68-year-old strongman who's ruled Belarus since 1994 — is absolutely crucial to the outcome of the war in Ukraine. Will he invade? Will he bide his time? Will he do whatever Putin tells him to do?

Lukashenko's announcement Monday that he would deploy his troops alongside Russian forces near Ukraine shows that it is indeed increasingly likely that Belarus will enter the war.

Watch VideoShow less
In The News
Lorraine Olaya, Lila Paulou, Lisa Berdet and Emma Albright

Mariupol Hangs In Balance, Biden Accuses Putin Of Genocide

👋 Manahuu!*

Welcome to Wednesday, as conflicting reports circulating over the fate of Mariupol, Biden accuses Putin of genocide, while the Russian president says peace talks with Ukraine are at a “dead end.” We also zoom in on Donbas, where Putin has shifted his forces in what could be a key moment in the Russia-Ukraine war. Meanwhile, an ugly Hollywood trial has begun in Virginia.

[*Mah-nah-hoo - Northern Paiute]

Watch VideoShow less