Virtual Roundtable: Is the Western Response toward Belarus Appropriate and Effective?

In August Belarus became world news as another revolution beckoned in the former Soviet space, but which has not – so far – materialised. Whatever happens now, the scale and persistence of the protests, imprisonments, torture and murders mean that Belarus will never be the same. But the longer this impasse continues, the deeper and more dangerous the crisis.

Western attempts to open a dialogue with Lukashenka have, predictably, failed and there are no signs that the repressions will stop. Have western governments and multilateral institutions acted reasonably and responsibly? And what can and should they still do?

Initial remarks by three Western policymakers will be followed by questions and discussion.