Under the 30-year dictatorship of Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Belarus has become one of the most isolated and dangerous countries in Europe. Lukashenka and his regime have destroyed and uprooted many lives—jailing over a thousand political prisoners in horrific conditions, blatantly falsifying elections, and engaging in mass repressions leading to an exodus of civil society from the country. Yet Lukashenka would not be able to survive without the patronage of Vladimir Putin. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Belarus has effectively operated as an extension of Russia. Lukashenka has become instrumental in carrying out Putin’s war and shielding him from accountability.
This hearing examines the unequal partnership between Russia and Belarus in the context of the war, from Belarus’ complicity in the forced relocation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children to military cooperation to sanctions evasion. Witnesses bring to light Belarus’ culpability in crimes committed against Ukraine and the rest of Europe and offer recommendations for how we can hold both countries accountable.
