Eastern Europe

State of the Order: Assessing January 2021

The State of the Order breaks down the month's most important events impacting the democratic world order.

European leadership: Transatlantic relations and the future of Belarus

The Atlantic Council Northern Europe Office organized a webinar on the topic of ”European Leadership: Transatlantic relations and the Future of Belarus”.

Is Russia slowly annexing Belarus in plain sight?

By Brian Whitmore

Moscow's current efforts to turn Belarusian territory into a platform for Russia’s armed forces are accompanied by moves to accelerate an economic integration that could amount to a soft annexation.

Belarus national reinvention leaves little room for Russia

By Brian Whitmore

Vladimir Putin's decision to prop up the Lukashenka dictatorship in Belarus has forced many Belarusians to rethink their attitudes towards Russia and fueled growing support for greater European integration.

Belarus protests echo in Russia: Will Putin repeat Lukashenka’s mistake?

By Vladislav Davidzon

The recent wave of anti-regime protests in Russia have taken inspiration from the six-month pro-democracy uprising in neighboring Belarus. Will Putin repeat Belarus dictator Lukashenka's hardline response?

Protest mood spreads from Belarus to Russia as calls grow for post-Soviet change

By Brian Whitmore

As Russians took to the streets across eleven time zones on January 23 to protest the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, many of them also had protests in neighboring Belarus on their minds.