Belarus Is Fast Becoming a ‘Vassal State’ of Russia

BLUF: Belarus, under the increasing control of Russia, has agreed to allow Moscow to position tactical nuclear weapons on its soil, a move that threatens the sovereignty of Belarus and aligns with President Vladimir Putin’s long-term goal of absorbing the country. The authoritarian leader of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, who previously maintained a careful balance in relations with Russia, turned to Putin for support after facing pro-democracy protests in 2020. Belarus is now complicit in the forced displacement of Ukrainian children and has become a crucial partner in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, stopping short of deploying its own military. The positioning of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus, which Lukashenko sees as a means of maintaining power, diminishes his control and poses a potential security threat to Belarus. The opposition leaders, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and Pavel Latushka, are warning about the consequences of a possible nuclear strike from Belarusian territory and the growing prevalence of pro-Russian propaganda in the country.

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