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Belarus

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Belarus. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Minsk

Head of State

President Alexander Lukashenko

Head of Government

Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko

Belarusian service members pledge allegiance to Alexander Lukashenko, who was sworn in as president for the seventh term. Photo: BelTA via Reuters

Belarus president sworn in for seventh term, tells critics ‘you have no future’

Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled since 1994, asserts that Belarus has more democracy than the West.

26 Mar 2025 - 10:38AM

European Union

Poland, Baltic nations to quit landmine treaty amid Russia threat

19 Mar 2025 - 1:28AMvideocam

Japan

Belarus sentences Japanese man to 7 years in prison for spying

18 Mar 2025 - 4:25PM

Russia

‘Europe’s last dictator’ Lukashenko extends 3-decade rule in Belarus

Alexander Lukashenko wins Belarus’ election by a landslide, garnering nearly 87 per cent of the vote.

27 Jan 2025 - 1:59PM

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko speaks at a press conference after casting his vote. Photo: Belarusian Presidency via dpa

European Union

Belarus strongman set to win 7th term in ‘farce’ election

President Lukashenko is expected to cruise to victory unchallenged for a seventh term, prolonging his three-decade authoritarian rule.

26 Jan 2025 - 5:00PM

Russia

Belarus election poised to extend 30-year rule of ‘Europe’s last dictator’

With opponents jailed or exiled, Alexander Lukashenko has also brought polling forward, with protests considered less likely in frigid weather.

24 Jan 2025 - 10:59PMvideocam

Russia

Growing risk of nuclear powers armed clash, Russia security official says

Sergei Shoigu spoke out on Friday, saying Nato is increasing activities on its eastern flank, but Nato says it is Russia that is raising tensions.

24 Jan 2025 - 6:55PMvideocam

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin with Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in November. Photo: Reuters

Ukraine war

Ukraine war: Moscow, Kyiv exchange 50 POWs in first return of 2025

Thousands of fighters have been returned in dozens of exchanges since the start of the war in February 2022.

16 Jan 2025 - 12:48AMvideocam

Diplomacy

Opinion | Spurned by the West, Russia ally Belarus is extravagantly courting China

Sanctioned by the West and unsure of Russia’s support, Belarus is banking on economic ties with China as Lukashenko plans pre-election visit.

8 Jan 2025 - 4:30PMvideocam

Viral stories

‘Balenciaga of Belarus’ goes viral for festive bubble wrap quirky outfits costing US$90

Bizarre outfits promise to make wearer stand out in crowd, but followers of fashion on social media are divided on pricey items.

6 Jan 2025 - 6:00PM

Japan

Japanese ‘trainspotters’ detained in Belarus for spying spark tensions

One expert believes the arrests highlight Belarus’s paranoia near its border with Ukraine.

20 Dec 2024 - 9:30AM

Cargo containers on freight train in Minsk, Belarus. Photo: Shutterstock Images

Trending in China

Chinese man finds love with tall Belarusian woman after many failed blind dates

Tian says he always believed he could find true love, and that’s when Namei appeared.

9 Dec 2024 - 8:02AM

Russia

Ukraine strikes Russia with Western missiles as Putin updates nuclear doctrine

Ukrainian forces conducted their first strike in Russia using Western-supplied ATACMS missiles.

19 Nov 2024 - 8:03PM

Ukraine war

Putin changes Russia’s nuclear doctrine in warning over strikes from Ukraine

Moscow will now consider any assault by a non-nuclear state supported by a nuclear power to be a joint attack and could hit back with nukes.

26 Sep 2024 - 11:41AMvideocam

Yars intercontinental ballistic missile systems on display in Moscow’s Red Square. File photo: Reuters

Japan

Japanese man accused of spying on military sites, Chinese projects in Belarus

The man was held in the city of Gomel and had displayed interest in the ‘broadest spheres of interest’ in the country

5 Sep 2024 - 11:42AM

Ukrainian servicemen stand at a position close to the border with Belarus. Photo: AP

Diplomacy

Opinion | Why Belarus sees China, not West, as answer to balancing Russia ties

Alexander Lukashenko believes he can maintain strong relations with both China and Russia without having to reduce cooperation with either.

30 Aug 2024 - 6:57AMvideocam

Ukraine war

Belarus accuses Ukraine of violating airspace, sends more troops to border

President Lukashenko says air defence forces destroyed ‘about a dozen’ of Kyiv’s drones linked to its offensive in Russia’s Kursk region.

11 Aug 2024 - 4:31AMvideocam

China’s military

Chinese and Belarusian troops practice seizing airport near Ukraine border

The ‘anti-terrorist’ exercise was held just days after Nato denounced Beijing as a ‘decisive enabler’ of Russia’s war effort.

19 Jul 2024 - 5:23PMvideocam

Troops take part in a training exercise during the joint China-Belarus drills. Photo: Reuters

China-EU relations

As China boosts ties with Russia, Belarus, Europe ponders possible rising threat

European Union may reconsider its relationship with the world’s second-largest market because of Beijing’s support for Moscow.

15 Jul 2024 - 3:36PMvideocam

China’s military

Chinese troops in Belarus for ‘anti-terrorist training’ near Poland, Ukraine

Exercise near border city of Brest is likely to add to concerns among EU and Nato members.

8 Jul 2024 - 4:51PMvideocam

Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Explainer | Why is Russia hosting a World Friendship Games, 40 years after the last one?

With athletes from Russia and Belarus banned from the Olympics, officials have relaunched an event last seen during the Cold War.

4 Jul 2024 - 9:22AM

Russia

Belarus to join Russia’s second-stage nuclear exercises

In theory the use of tactical nuclear weapons could deliver a stunning shock to the West without necessarily prompting a full-blown nuclear war, though the risk of triggering a cycle of escalation would be huge.

10 Jun 2024 - 6:33PM

Vladimir Putin

Russia’s Putin arrives in Uzbekistan on third foreign trip of his new term

Russian president is to hold talks with Uzbekistan’s President Shavkay Mirziyoyev which are expected to focus on deepening the countries’ relations.

27 May 2024 - 12:17PM

Ukraine war

Polish man arrested, suspected of spying for Russia to aid Zelensky assassination plot

Poland’s National Prosecutor said the man, arrested on Wednesday, was accused of being prepared to pass airport security information to Russian agents.

19 Apr 2024 - 5:49AM

Ukraine war

Kremlin says Ukraine peace talks without Russia ‘make no sense’

Switzerland on Wednesday announced that a high-level conference on the Ukraine conflict would be held on June 15-16, but without Russia.

12 Apr 2024 - 1:01PM

Russia

Locals protest as Russian regions face worst flooding for decades

Russia warned of ‘unprecedented’ flooding in coming days as locals in a city partially submerged by rising waters took to the streets in rare protest at the authorities’ handling of the crisis.

9 Apr 2024 - 1:38PM

A flooded part of the city of Orsk, Russia’s Orenburg region. Photo: Kommersant via AFP

Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Explainer | How will Russian and Belarusian athletes be cleared to compete at Paris Olympics?

After initially being banned, the athletes can now take part after passing some vetting criteria, including not actively supporting the war in Ukraine.

27 Mar 2024 - 3:00PM

Russia

Moscow concert hall attackers first headed for Belarus, not Ukraine: Lukashenko

Belarusian president, a close Putin ally, said Belarus and Russia had coordinated actions as suspects fled to Bryansk, bordering Ukraine and Belarus, where they were apprehended.

27 Mar 2024 - 10:47AMvideocam

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