Clara Ferreira Marques, Columnist

Belarus’s Future Isn’t Bright With Russia

Vladimir Putin's support for Alexander Lukashenko paves the way for slow decline.

September 1, 2020 at 5:55 AM UTC

Clara Ferreira Marques is a managing editor for Commodities and Energy in Asia. Previously, she was a Bloomberg Opinion columnist and editorial board member.

No sign of backing down. — No sign of backing down.
Photographer: Misha Friedman/Getty Images

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President Alexander Lukashenko’s Soviet-lite regime in Belarus has been dealt a blow from which it will not recover. Unfortunately, Russia can keep it on life support for some time to come.

Thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Minsk again last weekend, and the outrage remains palpable. That, unfortunately, may not matter. The Kremlin’s now overt backing has emboldened the collective farm boss-turned-autocrat. If he hangs on, Belarus will pay the price.