CSS Evening Talk: Eastern European Security and the View from Belarus
On 17 October 2018 the CSS held an Evening Talk on “Eastern European Security and the View from Belarus.” While the CSS’ Benno Zogg provided an overview of the various security challenges East European states such as Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova face, Yauheni Preiherman, director of the Minsk Dialogue track-II diplomacy initiative, focused on Belarus’ recent attempts to adopt a more independent foreign policy towards East and West.
Both speakers agreed that Belarus will remain a close Russian ally, partly due to there being no alternative to its dependence on its neighbor. However, the days when Minsk could be considered Moscow’s compliant satellite are over. The result of this is that Belarus will continue to tactically alternate between East and West. Further, as Belarus is repositioning itself as an in-between state, the West should reevaluate its strategy vis-à-vis the country.
For more on Belarusian foreign policy and how the West should respond to it, see the following publications and media contributions:
Benno Zogg, Belarus between East and West: The Art of the Deal, CSS Analyses in Security Policy No. 231
Interview with Benno Zogg, external pageMoving towards the West and away from Russia? Belarus’ strategic realignment since Crimea, Radio Monocle 24