From the rigged 2020 presidential election, mass protests, increased repression and violent suppression of civil society to Russian ally in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Belarus continues to attract global attention from human rights observers and international communities. During the 2014 Maidan Revolution and Russo-Ukrainian conflict, Belarus maintained a neutral stance and portrayed itself as a mediator and ‘a donor of security and stability’ in the region. But with the emergence of the 2020 political crisis, Belarus under Alexander Lukashenko increased its dependence on the Kremlin and became Putin’s major ally in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

With the growing Western criticism of the Lukashenko regime, Belarus continues to aid Russian invasion and military activity continues to carry on in the Belarusian-Ukrainian border. There are increasing speculations that Belarus will become more directly involved in the war. At the same time, the speculation of Russian absorption of Belarus and the new Chinese-Belarusian deal have made the political scenario of Eastern Europe more anent.

This panel would discuss the Belarusian uprising of 2020, the pro-democracy movement, its involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict as well as Belarus’s relations with China and the world. The speakers will highlight their unconventional research on Belarusian history, society, politics and foreign relations. Furthermore, would address the implications of these developments on the Lukashenko’s regime and the future of the ‘Europe’s Last Dictatorship’.

SPEAKERS:

David Marples

Member, Board of Governors, CGC; Distinguished University Professor of Russian and East European History, University of Alberta

Katsiaryna Lozka

PhD Fellow, Ghent Institute for International and European Studies (GIES), Ghent University

Maryia Danilovich

Postdoc and Humboldt Fellow, Centre for Modern East Asian Studies, University of Göttingen

MODERATOR:

Soumava Basu

President and Founder, CGC

Thank you for your interest in the event. Please find attached the event link:

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