While Ukraine isn’t afraid of an outright invasion by Belarusian troops, it still thinks that Belarus remains a military threat, and Minsk still has the potential to pose a long-term security threat to Europe in the years ahead.
Wargaming closed its studios in Russia and Belarus following the military invasion of Ukraine, and is now adding new studios in Central and Southeast Europe.
While Belarus’ economy minister has said that sanctions should not affect the living standard of ordinary Belarusians, a recent survey made by the country’s statistical agencies shows that poor Belarusian are already becoming poorer.
On June 3, the EU introduced its sixth package of sanctions against Belarus and Russia, which heavily increases the economic pressure on the Minsk regime.
Belarus drastically eases entry restrictions for foreigners in an attempt to bolster tourism revenues. Apart from more people from neighbouring countries coming to visit friends and family, the Belarus' international isolation continues to increase.
Belarusian officials have in recent weeks become more open with the broad and hard-hitting effects of the Western sanctions. Their latest estimates assume a 30% loss for Belarusian exports this year due to such strictures.
Belarusian PM confirms that Belarus supplies weapons to Russia. Roman Golovchenko said that Belarusian weapons were in demand not only domestically but also in Russia and the two countries have set up join R&D-projects to navigate Western sanctions.
Lukashenko’s attempt to save face via mixed messages of peace and increased threats of war with the West and Ukraine haven’t got him very far and many Belarusians are more than eager to bring the fight to Lukashenko.
Prompt and decisive government intervention, financial lifelines and firms’ involvement in global value chains have helped minimise insolvencies, says EIB/EBRD report.
Belarus has broadened the legal use of death by firing squad in order to further supress oppositional activity within the country, creating a further rift with the West and with the country's population.
Belarus' prime minister said that Western sanctions had blocked almost all the country's exports to the EU and North America.
In front of Putin in Moscow, Belarusian dictator addresses counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Armenia.
The accession of Finland and Sweden to Nato will transform the picture in the Baltic region but more military deployments are still needed, argue Baltic experts.
While Belarus' latest troop increases along the border with Ukraine have worried many, these actions should be seen in the light of Lukashenko's aim of de-escalating tensions with the West while showing loyalty to Putin.