The Kremlin and the Protests in Belarus: What’s Russia’s Next Move?

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In The Media

The Kremlin and the Protests in Belarus: What’s Russia’s Next Move?

Massive and persistent, protests in the usually quiet country of Belarus have taken the world by surprise and suddenly brought the country to the centre of Europe's attention.

By Maksim Samorukov

Published on Sep 2, 2020

Source: Institut für Sicherheitspolitik

A rigged presidential election and a violent crackdown on the opposition unleashed deep-rooted popular discontent, which had grown mostly undetected over President Alexander Lukashenko’s 26 uninterrupted years in office. Unprecedentedly, 200.000 Belarusians took to the streets in Minsk and other cities to protest police abuses and demand Lukashenko’s immediate resignation.

Unlike in the past, many erstwhile supporters of the regime from the ranks of teachers, doctors, and state factory employees, apparently disenchanted with the country’s long-serving leader, joined the protests. The gravity of the situation has led many observers to question Lukashenko’s ability to survive the turmoil absent a rescue operation by Belarus’s main ally, Russia. However, there is little love left in the Kremlin for the Belarusian leader, and Moscow is in no hurry to reveal its strategy for handling the unfolding crisis.

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This working paper was originally published by the Institut für Sicherheitspolitik

About the Author

Maksim Samorukov

Fellow, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center

Samorukov is a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.

Recent Work

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Ever Increasing Circles: How Bulgaria Is Straying from Russia’s Orbit
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Political Reform Eastern Europe Belarus

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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