A calculated Minsk

18 August 2020 By Dasha Afanasieva Follow @dasha_reuters

President Alexander Lukashenko’s future is in serious doubt after days of protests against his re-election. Minsk has limited economic ties to the non-Russian world, but Moscow has enough leverage to push for a friendly new regime. Belarus can avoid becoming another Ukraine.

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Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko would be ready to hold new elections and hand over power after a constitutional referendum, the leader said on Aug. 17 in an attempt to pacify mass protests and strikes that pose the biggest challenge yet to his 26-year rule.

The European Union is considering imposing sanctions on Belarusian individuals linked to violence and election fraud, Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said on Aug. 18, after a bloody crackdown on protests following what demonstrators say was Lukashenko’s rigged re-election victory last week. Lukashenko cites official results that gave him just over 80% of the vote.

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