Russian Policy toward Belarus after 2020: At a Turning Point?

Book Launch and Discussion

Moderator:  

Elena Korosteleva, Professor Politics and Global Sustainable Development at the University of Warwick, Visiting Professor at the Oxford Belarus Observatory, University of Oxford

Discussant: 

Andrew Wilson, Professor of Ukranian Studies at UCL, Senior Policy Fellow at ECFR

Speakers: 

Arkady Moshes, Programme Director, Finnish Institute of International Affairs
Ryhor Nizhnikau, Senior Research Fellow, Finnish Institute of International Affairs 
Hennadz Korshunau, Senior Researcher, Center for New Ideas

Traditionally Belarus has always had a special status in Russia’s foreign policy. Russia’s approach towards a key political and military ally and a “Slavic brother” was always an indicator of how Russia would see the optimal relationships with other countries of the post-Soviet space. At this moment Belarus-Russia relations are evolving in unexpected ways. The two interconnected crises – the Belarusian mass protests of 2020 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – have had a profound impact on the Belarusian regime and society, the regional security and Russian policy towards Belarus. This book explores the ongoing development of Belarus-Russia relations and discusses the future of the relationship. This edited volume reviews the state of the relationship and underlines key emergent trends of Belarus’s and Russia’s policies towards each other to identify new mechanisms and practices as they shape into a new model. The book is comprised of in-depth empirical contributions in a range of interdisciplinary perspectives on cooperation in political, economic, security, media, and societal domains within a broader regional context. The event is organised by the Oxford Belarus Observatory, in partnership with the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA), and the IGSD, University of Warwick.

Please register here.