Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. It covers an area of approximately 200,000 square kilometres and has a population of around nine million. Often referred to as 'Europe's last dictatorship', Belarus is a presidential republic in which executive power is concentrated in the hands of President Alexander Lukashenko, who has held power since 1994.
The country has played a controversial role in the ongoing war in Ukraine by acting as a close ally of Russia. By allowing Russian forces to use its territory as a staging ground for military operations in Ukraine, it has drawn international condemnation and faced sanctions. This has isolated Belarus politically from much of the West, while also making it more dependent on Moscow economically and militarily. The military conflict has also heavily impacted social and economic ties between the EU and Belarus. While some established networks have evolved, new, less formalised forms of collaboration have emerged. This investigation delves into these discrete links.
Contact the team via belarusproject@protonmail.com
AI-Generated Image created by Marina Dulneva
