Description
Book SynopsisTraditionally 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.
Table of ContentsChapter 1: Belarus-Russia Relations: Identity as Product and Factor by Aliaksei Kazharski and Katsiaryna Lozka
Chapter 2: The Economic Dimension of the Russian Policy Towards Belarus by Kateryna Bornukova
Chapter 3: Russia’s Defense Policy and Belarus After 2020 by Andras Racz
Chapter 4: Falling into a Trap of the Own Making: Lukashenka’s Foreign Policy since 2020 by Arkady Moshes and Ryhor Nizhnikau
Chapter 5: Belarus-Russia Relations in Belarusian Public Opinion Polls by Henadz Korshunau
Chapter 6: The Belarusian Opposition and Russia: Evolving Attitudes since 2020 by Artyom Shraibman
Chapter 7: A Loss of Media Sovereignty: Synchronization of Belarusian and Russian Propaganda after 2020 by Pavel Bykouski
