lukashenko

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a leader of the democratic opposition of Belarus, is seen here in Krakow, Poland, in 2022.

Belarus’s exiled opposition leader wants to “remind” Americans of something important

Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko has been in power for more than 30 years and just won another election widely regarded as rigged. Why are the streets of Minsk quiet? Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who continues to advocate for democracy and increased Western pressure on the Belarusian regime from Lithuania, talked to GZERO’s Alex Kliment about the road ahead.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko take part in a signing ceremony following a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State of Russia and Belarus in Minsk, Belarus, on Dec. 6, 2024.

Viewpoint: With Putin’s protection, is Lukashenko’s reelection in Belarus a foregone conclusion?

Ahead of Sunday’s election in Belarus, there is little doubt that Alexander Lukashenko, Europe’s longest-serving leader, will win a new term in office. After the protests that erupted following the 2020 elections, threatening his grip on power for the first time, a government crackdown supported by Russia has eliminated any opposition to the president. We sat down with Eurasia Group expert Alex Brideau to learn more about the upcoming election.

Prigozhin's exit shakes Putin's regime

Prigozhin's exit shakes Putin's regime

Ian Bremmer's Quick Take: We have just gotten through an unprecedented turn of events challenging President Putin in a way that he has not since he's taken power in that country. Mr. Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group, essentially declaring war against the Kremlin, moving his forces to within dozens of kilometers of Moscow. And then, at the last moment, "cutting a deal" brokered by Belarus's President Aleksandr Lukashenko. He is today still, to the best of our knowledge, a free man. But for how long?

China-US tensions over COVID origins & Russia's war

China-US tensions over COVID origins & Russia's war

Ian Bremmer's Quick Take: I want to talk about all things China right now, there is so much at stake and at play. A few different points. First of all, the Wall Street Journal had a report that the Department of Energy says that they believe that COVID initially originated from this lab, this Institute of Virology in Wuhan. They now join along with the FBI in having that view. The Chinese are still not allowing the WHO or others to investigate appropriately the origins.