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  "authors": [
    "Matthew Rojansky"
  ],
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  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
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Source: Getty

In The Media

Europe Closes the Door on Belarus

With the latest round of sanctions and the decision to recall ambassadors from Minsk, the European Union has effectively closed the door on Belarus.

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By Matthew Rojansky
Published on Feb 29, 2012
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Russia and Eurasia

The Russia and Eurasia Program continues Carnegie’s long tradition of independent research on major political, societal, and security trends in and U.S. policy toward a region that has been upended by Russia’s war against Ukraine.  Leaders regularly turn to our work for clear-eyed, relevant analyses on the region to inform their policy decisions.

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Source: Voice of Russia

Since the controversial re-election of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenka in December 2010—and the accompanying crackdown on many protestors and opposition candidates—relations between Belarus and the European Union have deteriorated. In an interview with Voice of Russia, Carnegie’s Matthew Rojansky argued that the latest round of European Union sanctions on Belarus and the decision to recall EU member states’ ambassadors from Minsk clearly signal that “Europe has closed the door” on Belarus. Although European Union officials—most notably Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski – have traditionally adopted a “soft power approach” toward Belarus, Rojansky noted that Lukashenka has rejected the carrot of European integration and “really spat in their faces.” Rojansky described the pattern in relations between Belarus and the West as one in which “Belarus escalates and the West responds.” As a result, “Lukashenka made himself totally vulnerable and totally exposed to Moscow because he has no friends left in the West,” Rojansky concluded.

About the Author

Matthew Rojansky

Former Deputy Director, Russia and Eurasia Program

Rojansky, formerly executive director of the Partnership for a Secure America, is an expert on U.S. and Russian national security and nuclear-weapon policies.

    Recent Work

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    An Opportunity for Ambition: Ukraine’s OSCE Chairmanship

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Matthew Rojansky
Former Deputy Director, Russia and Eurasia Program
Matthew Rojansky
Political ReformDemocracyEastern EuropeBelarus

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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