This month, the United States lifted sanctions on Belavia, the Belarusian state airline, in what is seen as a response to the September release of a group of Belarusian political prisoners. Both Donald Trump and Aliaksandr Lukashenka have publicly stated that they are preparing a ‘bigger deal’. Trump’s approach to Belarus challenges the very foundations of the West’s previously united policy – one based on the non-recognition of Lukashenka and the sanctioning of his regime.
This event will address key questions, including:
- Is Trump’s policy the best way to deal with the Lukashenka regime?
- Will Trump’s decision weaken broader Western policy towards Belarus?
- What does it mean for Russia’s containment strategy and for Belarus’s role in Russia’s war against Ukraine?
