At a recent event organized by the Belarusian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (BSRL), the topic “Can the West Exert Influence on Lukashenka?” was debated between two analysts. Ryhor Astapenia, one of the debaters, earlier, had issued his critical account of Western policies vis-à-vis Belarus, in which he suggested the West should not avoid talking directly to President Alyaksandr Lukashenka (Svaboda, …
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on February 13 became the first senior official from a European Union country to visit Belarus since the beginning of a crackdown on the opposition in 2020.