EU on course to lift Belarus sanctions despite vote concerns
The situation has not changed
Belarus’s election fell short of democratic standards, monitors said on Monday after President Alexander Lukashenko won a fifth term, but Europe still looked set to ease sanctions as France and Germany welcomed a lack of political repression.
Moves by Lukashenko, including the pardoning of six opposition figures before the election, suggest Lukashenko could be seeking to improve his image abroad to rely less on his ally Russia, which is under Western sanctions due to the Ukraine conflict.
“It is clear that Belarus still has a long way to go towards fulfilling its democratic commitments,” said Kent Hasted, head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s observer mission for the election, in a statement.
You have been successfully subscribed
Subscribe to our newsletter
Once a week, in coordination with a group of prominent Belarusian analysts, we provide analytical commentaries on the most topical and relevant issues, including the behind-the-scenes processes occurring in Belarus. These commentaries are available in Belarusian, Russian, and English.
EN
BE/RU
Situation in Belarus
April 8 – April 14
Constitutional referendum: main consequences
April 12, 2022
Speakers: Anatoliy Lebedko, Andrei Kazakevich
Video
How to count the political prisoners: are the new criteria needed?
March 28, 2022
Speakers: Aleh Hulak, Aleh Aheyeu, Viachaslau Kasinierau
Video
Paternalism In Decline, Belarusian Euroscepticism, And The Influence Of Russia
October 11, 2021
Video
Belarus: “High-Risk Country”
April 8 – April 14
Human Rights in Belarus Remain a Focus of Western Attention
April 1 – April 7
The noose tightens: Poland and the Baltic States take initiative in combating sanctions evasion
March 25 – March 31
The EU discusses duties on agricultural products from Belarus and Russia, sanctions synchronization, and a railway blockade
March 18 – March 24
Co-aggressor or Peacemaker?
April 8 – April 14
Belarus Suspends CFE Treaty: Preparing for War?
April 1 – April 7
Playing with fire. The Kremlin and Minsk consider the possibility of using nuclear weapons
March 25 – March 31
Against the backdrop of the renewed migration crisis, NATO prepares for a new escalation
March 18 – March 24
The Coordination Council Returns to the Agenda of the Democratic Movement
April 8 – April 14
The Coordination Council: A Toxic Asset or a Key Element of the Democratic Forces’ Architecture?
April 1 – April 7
“Hawks” of Democratic Forces: Blitzkrieg Narratives for Political Migrants
March 25 – March 31
Democratic forces are developing cooperation with Euronest and contribute to the isolation of the regime
March 18 – March 24
Deficit of Loyal Staff, “Wolf Ticket” for Dissenters
April 8 – April 14
Lukashenka’s Social Contract-2024: Guarantees for the Security Forces, Whip for Others
April 1 – April 7
The Lukashenka Pyramid: A Dilemma of Two Peaks
March 25 – March 31
Lukashenka takes lessons from Jack Sparrow on expropriation of businesses
March 18 – March 24