Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus' strongman president, knew that he would face few serious consequences from Brussels for intercepting an EU airliner this week to arrest a dissident journalist. That's because the Europeans rely heavily on Russian natural gas imports, roughly a quarter of which traverse Belarusian territory. This dependence on Belarusian facilities for natural gas, a difficult resource to transport, gives Lukashenko disproportionate leverage with Brussels – and he knows it. We take a look at some of the main natural gas arteries that cross Belarusian territory.
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The Graphic Truth: EU needs Belarus for Russian gas
Gabriella Turrisi
Alex Kliment
Alex wears a few different caps and tips them all regularly. He writes for the GZERO Daily, works as a field correspondent for GZERO's nationally syndicated TV show GZERO WORLD WITH IAN BREMMER, and writes/directs/voices GZERO's award-winning puppet satire show PUPPET REGIME. Prior to joining GZERO, Alex worked as an analyst covering Russia and broader Emerging Markets for Eurasia Group. He has also written for the Financial Times from Washington, DC, and Sao Paulo Brazil. In his spare time, he makes short films and composes scores for long ones. He studied history and Slavic literature at Columbia and has a Master's from Johns Hopkins SAIS. He's a native New Yorker, a long-suffering Mets fan, and owns too many bicycles.
