Alexander Lukashenko

Extended-protected article
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Lukashenko)

Alexander Lukashenko
Александр Лукашенко
Аляксандр Лукашэнка
Lukashenko in 2023
President of Belarus
Assumed office
20 July 1994[a]
Prime Minister
Preceded byMyechyslaw Hryb
(as head of state and Chairman of the Supreme Council)
Chairman of the Supreme State Council
of the Union State
Assumed office
26 January 2000
Chairman of the Council of Ministers
General Secretary
Preceded byOffice established
Member of the Supreme Council of Belarus
In office
25 August 1991 – 20 July 1994
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Personal details
Born
Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko

(1954-08-30) 30 August 1954 (age 69)
Kopys, Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union
(now Belarus)
Political partyIndependent (1992–present)
Other political
affiliations
Spouse
(m. 1975)
Children
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionEconomist and collective farmer[4]
Signature
Websitepresident.gov.by/en/
Military service
Allegiance
Branch/service
Years of service
  • 1975–1977
  • 1980–1982
  • 1994–present
RankLieutenant colonel[5]

Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko[c] (also transliterated as Alyaksandr Ryhoravich Lukashenka;[d] born 30 August 1954) is a Belarusian politician who has been the president of Belarus since the office's establishment in 1994.[7] This makes him the longest-serving European president.[8]

Before embarking on his political career, Lukashenko worked as the director of a state farm (sovkhoz) and served in both the Soviet Border Troops and the Soviet Army. In 1990, Lukashenko was elected to the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he assumed the position of head of the interim anti-corruption committee of the Supreme Council of Belarus. In 1994, he won the presidency in the country's inaugural presidential election after the adoption of a new constitution.

Lukashenko opposed economic shock therapy during the 1990s post-Soviet transition, maintaining state ownership of key industries in Belarus. This spared Belarus from recessions as devastating as those in other post-Soviet states and the former Eastern Bloc countries which prevented the rise of oligarchy. Lukashenko's maintenance of socialist economic model is consistent with the retaining of Soviet-era symbolism, including the Russian language, coat of arms and national flag. These symbols were adopted after a controversial 1995 referendum.

Subsequent to the same referendum, Lukashenko acquired increased power, including the authority to dismiss the Supreme Council. Another referendum in 1996 further facilitated his consolidation of power. Lukashenko has since presided over an authoritarian government and has been labeled by the media as "Europe's last dictator".[9] International monitors have not regarded Belarusian elections as free and fair, except for his initial win. The government suppresses opponents and limits media freedom.[10] This has resulted in multiple Western governments imposing sanctions on Lukashenko and other Belarusian officials.[11] Lukashenko's contested victory in the 2020 presidential election preceded allegations of vote-rigging, amplifying anti-government protests, the largest seen during his rule.[8] Consequently, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the United States do not recognise Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus following the disputed election.[12][13]

Such isolation from parts of the West have increased his dependence on Russia, with whom Lukashenko had already maintained close ties with despite some disagreements related to trade. This has been particularly the case following the rise to power of Vladimir Putin, replacing reformist president Boris Yeltsin. Lukashenko played a crucial role in creating the Union State of Russia and Belarus, enabling Belarusians and Russians to travel, work, and study freely between the two countries. He also reportedly played a crucial role in brokering a deal to end the Russian Wagner Group rebellion in 2023, allowing some Wagner soldiers into Belarus.[14]

Early life, family and education

Lukashenko was born on 30 August 1954[15][16] in the settlement of Kopys in Vitebsk Region of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. Starting with an interview given in 2009, Lukashenko has said that his actual birthday is 31 August, the same as his son's Nikolai's.[17] This caused some confusion as all official sources had said 30 August 1954 up until then. An explanation was later given that his mother had entered the hospital on the 30th in labour but not given birth until after midnight.[18]

His maternal grandfather, Trokhym Ivanovich Lukashenko, was born near Shostka in the then Russian Empire, in the village known today as Sobycheve.[19] Lukashenko grew up without a father in his childhood, leading him to be taunted by his schoolmates for having an unmarried mother.[20] Due to this, the origin of his patronymic Grigorevich is unknown and there are varying rumours about the identity of Lukashenko's father. The most common suggestion is that the man was a Roma passing through the region.[21] His mother, Ekaterina Trofimovna Lukashenko (1924–2015), gave birth to another son, older than Alexander, who later died on an unknown date. Ekaterina worked unskilled jobs on a railway, at a construction site, at a flax factory in Orsha and finally as a milkmaid in Alexandria, a small village in the east of Belarus, close to the Russian border.[22]

Lukashenko went to Alexandria secondary school. He graduated from the Mogilev Pedagogical Institute (now Mogilev State A. Kuleshov University) in Mogilev in 1975 after 4 years of studies. He also completed studies at the Belarusian Agricultural Academy in Horki in 1985.

Military and early politics career

He served in the Soviet Border Troops from 1975 to 1977, where he was an instructor of the political department of military unit No. 2187 of the Western Frontier District in Brest and in the Soviet Army from 1980 to 1982. In addition, he led an All-Union Leninist Young Communist League (Komsomol) chapter in Mogilev from 1977 to 1978. While in the Soviet Army, Lukashenko was a deputy political officer of the 120th Guards Motor Rifle Division, which was based in Minsk.[23]

In 1979, he joined the ranks of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Communist Party of Byelorussia. After leaving the military, he became the deputy chairman of a collective farm in 1982 and in 1985, he was promoted to the post of director of the Gorodets state farm and construction materials plant in the Shklow district.[24] In 1987, he was appointed as the director of the Gorodets state farm in Shklow district and in early 1988, was one of the first in Mogilev Region to introduce a leasing contract to a state farm.[25]

In 1990, Lukashenko was elected Deputy to the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR. Having acquired a reputation as an eloquent opponent of corruption, Lukashenko was elected in April 1993 to be interim chairman of the anti-corruption committee of the Belarusian parliament.[26] In late 1993 he accused 70 senior government officials, including the Supreme Soviet chairman Stanislav Shushkevich and prime minister Vyacheslav Kebich, of corruption including stealing state funds for personal purposes. While the charges ultimately proved to be without merit, Shushkevich resigned his chairmanship due to the embarrassment of this series of events and losing a vote of no-confidence.[27][28] He was in that position until July 1994.

Presidency

First term (1994–2001)

The 1995 hunger strike of deputies in the Supreme Council building

A new Belarusian constitution enacted in early 1994 paved the way for the first democratic presidential election on 23 June and 10 July. Six candidates stood in the first round, including Lukashenko, who campaigned as an independent on a populist platform. In an interview with The New York Times, he declared: "I am neither with the leftists nor the rightists. But with the people against those who rob and deceive them".[29] Stanislav Shushkevich and Vyacheslav Kebich also ran, with the latter regarded as the clear favorite.[30] Lukashenko won 45.1% of the vote while Kebich received 17.4%, Zianon Pazniak received 12.9% and Shushkevich, along with two other candidates, received less than 10% of votes.[30]

Lukashenko won the second round of the election on 10 July with 80.1% of the vote.[30][31] The presidential inauguration was held in the halls of the Government House, on 20 July 1994, exactly ten days after the election, during a special meeting of the parliament, the Supreme Council.[32] Shortly after his inauguration, he addressed the State Duma of the Russian Federation in Moscow proposing a new Union of Slavic states, which would culminate in the creation of the Union of Russia and Belarus in 1999.[33]

President Lukashenko on a postage stamp from 1996

In February 1995, Lukashenko announced his intention to hold a referendum. For the young democratic republic this raised the controversial issue of the Russification of Belarus. Lukashenko said he would press ahead with the referendum regardless of opposition in the Supreme Council and threatened to suspend its activities if it did not agree to hold the referendum. On 11 April 1995, a vote was held in parliament on calling a referendum on four issues proposed by Lukashenko: 1) granting Russian the status of a state language, 2) changing state symbols, 3) on economic integration with Russia and 4) on giving the president the right to dissolve parliament. The deputies rejected all the issues, except for that which regarded economic integration with Russia.[34][35] It is unclear whether the president had legal power independently to call referendums, and if so, if they would be binding. Lukashenko stated that the referendum would be held despite the rejection by the deputies.

In protest, 19 out of a total of 238 deputies of the Belarusian Popular Front led by Zianon Pazniak and the Belarusian Social Democratic Assembly led by Oleg Trusov (b. Алег Анатолевіч Трусаў) began a hunger strike in the parliamentary meeting room and stayed there overnight on the night of 11–12 April. At night, under the pretext of a bomb threat, unidentified law enforcement personnel attacked and forcibly expelled the deputies. Lukashenko stated that he personally ordered the evacuation for security purposes. The Supreme Council accepted to hold the referendum on 13 April and in May 1995, Belarusian authorities held a referendum on the four issues.[36] The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly found neither the referendum nor the 1995 Belarusian parliamentary election which took place in the same month to have met conditions for free and fair elections.[37]

Official ceremony of signing Treaty on Establishing Russian-Belarusian Union at the Kremlin Palace, between the Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Belarusian President Lukashenko, 1997

In the summer of 1996, deputies of the 199-member Belarusian parliament signed a petition to impeach Lukashenko on charges of violating the Constitution.[39] Shortly after that, a referendum was held on 24 November 1996 in which four questions were offered by Lukashenko and three offered by a group of Parliament members. The questions ranged from social issues, including changing the independence day to 3 July (the date of the liberation of Minsk from Nazi forces in 1944) and the abolition of the death penalty, to the national constitution. As a result of the referendum, the constitution that was amended by Lukashenko was accepted and the one amended by the Supreme Council was voided. On 25 November, it was announced that 70.5% of voters, of an 84% turnout, had approved the amended constitution. The US and the EU, however, refused to accept the legitimacy of the referendum.[40]

After the referendum, Lukashenko convened a new parliamentary assembly from those members of the parliament who were loyal to him.[41] After between ten and twelve deputies withdrew their signature from the impeachment petition, only about forty deputies of the old parliament were left and the Supreme Council was dismissed by Lukashenko.[42] Nevertheless, international organizations and many Western countries do not recognize the current parliament given the way it was formed.[43][44] Lukashenko was elected chairman of the Belarusian Olympic Committee in 1997.[45] At the start of 1998, the Central Bank of Russia suspended trading in the Belarusian ruble, which led to a collapse in the value of the currency. Lukashenko responded by taking control of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus, sacking the entire bank leadership and blaming the West for the free fall of the currency.[46]

Alexander Lukashenko standing with Vladimir Putin and Leonid Kuchma at the Slavic Bazaar in Vitebsk in 2001

Lukashenko blamed foreign governments for conspiring against him and, in April 1998, expelled ambassadors from the Drazdy complex near Minsk and moved them to another building. The Drazdy conflict caused an international outcry and resulted in a travel ban on Lukashenko from the EU and the US.[47] Although the ambassadors eventually returned after the controversy died down, Lukashenko stepped up his rhetorical attacks against the West. He stated that Western governments were trying to undermine Belarus at all levels, even sports, during the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.[48]

Upon the outbreak of the Kosovo War in 1999, Lukashenko suggested to Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević that Yugoslavia join the Union of Russia and Belarus.[49]

Second term (2001–2006)

Alexander Lukashenko alongside Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a state-visit to Syria in December 2003

Under the original constitution, Lukashenko should have been up for reelection in 1999. However, the 1996 referendum extended Lukashenko's term for two additional years. In the 9 September 2001 election, Lukashenko faced Vladimir Goncharik and Sergei Gaidukevich.[50] During the campaign, Lukashenko promised to raise the standards of farming, social benefits and increase industrial output of Belarus.[51] Lukashenko won in the first round with 75.65% of the vote. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said the process "failed to meet international standards".[51]

Meeting of Alexander Lukashenko with Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei and president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2006

Jane's Intelligence Digest surmised that the price of Russian support for Lukashenko ahead of the 2001 presidential election was the surrender of Minsk's control over its section of the Yamal–Europe gas pipeline.[52] After the results were announced declaring Lukashenko the winner, Russia publicly welcomed Lukashenko's re-election; the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, telephoned Lukashenko and offered a message of congratulations and support.[51]

Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, American intelligence agencies reported that aides of Saddam Hussein managed to acquire Belarusian passports while in Syria, but that it was unlikely that Belarus would offer a safe haven for Saddam and his two sons.[53] This action, along with arms deals with Iraq and Iran, prompted Western governments to take a tougher stance against Lukashenko. The US was particularly angered by the arms sales, and American political leaders increasingly began to refer to Belarus as "Europe's last dictatorship".[54] The EU was concerned for the security of its gas supplies from Russia, which are piped through Belarus, and took an active interest in Belarusian affairs. With the accession of Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, the EU's border with Belarus has grown to more than 1000 kilometers.[55]

During a televised address to the nation on 7 September 2004, Lukashenko announced plans for a referendum to eliminate presidential term limits. This was held on 17 October 2004, the same day as parliamentary elections, and, according to official results, was approved by 79.42% of voters. Previously, Lukashenko had been limited to two terms and thus would have been constitutionally required to step down after the presidential elections in 2006.[20][56] Opposition groups, the OSCE, the European Union, and the US State Department stated that the vote fell short of international standards. Belarus grew economically under Lukashenko, but much of this growth was due to Russian crude oil which was imported at below-market prices, refined, and sold to other European countries at a profit.[20]

Third term (2006–2010)

Lukashenko with Dmitry Medvedev in the Kremlin, December 2008

After Lukashenko confirmed he was running for re-election in 2005, opposition groups began to seek a single candidate. On 16 October 2005, on the Day of Solidarity with Belarus, the political groups Zubr and Third Way Belarus encouraged all opposition parties to rally behind one candidate to oppose Lukashenko in the 2006 election. Their chosen candidate was Alexander Milinkevich.[57] Lukashenko reacted by saying that anyone going to opposition protests would have their necks wrung "as one might a duck".[20] On 19 March 2006, exit polls showed Lukashenko winning a third term in a landslide, amid opposition reports of vote-rigging and fear of violence. The Belarusian Republican Youth Union gave Lukashenko 84.2% and Milinkevich 3.1%. The Gallup Organisation noted that the Belarusian Republican Youth Union are government-controlled and released the exit poll results before noon on election day even though voting stations did not close until 8 pm.[58]

Belarusian authorities vowed to prevent any large-scale demonstrations following the election (such as those that marked the Orange Revolution in Ukraine). Despite their efforts, the opposition had the largest number of demonstrators in years, with nightly protests in Minsk continuing for a number of days after the election. The largest protest occurred on election night; reporters for the Associated Press estimated that approximately 10,000 people turned out.[59] Election observers from the Russia-led Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) differed on the Belarusian election.[60]

Dmitry Medvedev and Alexander Lukashenko observed the final phase of the Zapad-2009 strategic exercises that took place in Baranavichy, Belarus.

The OSCE declared on 20 March 2006 that the "presidential election failed to meet OSCE commitments for democratic elections." Lukashenko "permitted State authority to be used in a manner which did not allow citizens to freely and fairly express their will at the ballot box... a pattern of intimidation and the suppression of independent voices... was evident throughout the campaign."[61] The heads of all 25 EU countries declared that the election was "fundamentally flawed".[62] In contrast, the Russian minister of foreign affairs declared, "Long before the elections, the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights had declared that they [the elections] would be illegitimate and it was pretty biased in its commentaries on their progress and results, thus playing an instigating role."[62] Lukashenko later stated that he had rigged the election results, but against himself, in order to obtain a majority more typical of European countries. Although he had won 93.5% of the vote, he said, he had directed the government to announce a result of 86%.[63][64]

Some Russian nationalists, such as Dmitry Rogozin and the Movement Against Illegal Immigration, stated that they would like to see Lukashenko become President of Russia in 2008. Lukashenko responded that he would not run for the Russian presidency, but that if his health was still good, he might run for reelection in 2011.[65]

In September 2008, parliamentary elections were held. Lukashenko had allowed some opposition candidates to stand, though in the official results, opposition members failed to get any of the 110 available seats. OSCE observers described the vote as "flawed", including "several cases of deliberate falsification of results".[66] Opposition members and supporters demonstrated in protest.[66] According to the Nizhny Novgorod-based CIS election observation mission, the findings of which are often dismissed by the West,[67] the elections in Belarus conformed to international standards.[68] Lukashenko later commented that the opposition in Belarus was financed by foreign countries and was not needed.[69]

In April 2009, he held talks with Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican, Lukashenko's first visit to Western Europe after a travel ban on him a decade earlier.[70]

In August 2009, during a working trip to the Vitebsk Region, Lukashenko announced a program for the revival of Belarusian potato production, saying: "We will finish working on a special program, we will decide how much potatoes we need for the domestic market, how much potatoes we can sell" and that "we'll bring back this crop that is very valuable to us".[71] Later, Lukashenko received the nickname "potato führer" from his detractors.[72][73]

Fourth term (2010–2015)

Lukashenko and Putin at the Russian-Belarusian strategic military exercises in 2013

Lukashenko was one of ten candidates registered for the presidential election held in Belarus on 19 December 2010. Though originally envisaged for 2011, an earlier date was approved "to ensure the maximum participation of citizens in the electoral campaign and to set most convenient time for the voters".[74] The run-up to the campaign was marked by a series of Russian media attacks on Lukashenko.[75] The Central Election Committee said that all nine opposition figures were likely to get less than half the vote total that Lukashenko would get.[76] Though opposition figures alleged intimidation[77] and that "dirty tricks" were being played, the election was seen as comparatively open as a result of desire to improve relations with both Europe and the US.[76]

On election day, two presidential candidates were seriously beaten by police[78] in different opposition rallies.[79][80][81] On the night of the election, opposition protesters chanting "Out!", "Long live Belarus!" and other similar slogans attempted to storm the building of the government of Belarus, smashing windows and doors before riot police were able to push them back.[82] The number of protesters was reported by major news media as being around or above 10,000 people.[83][84][85][86] At least seven of the opposition presidential candidates were arrested.[78]

Several of the opposition candidates, along with their supporters and members of the media, were arrested. Many were sent to prison, often on charges of organizing a mass disturbance. Examples include Andrei Sannikov,[87] Alexander Otroschenkov,[88] Ales Michalevic,[89] Mikola Statkevich,[90] and Uladzimir Nyaklyayew.[91] Sannikov's wife, journalist Irina Khalip, was put under house arrest.[92] Yaraslau Ramanchuk's party leader, Anatoly Lebedko, was also arrested.[93]

Lukashenko giving a speech in 2014

The CEC said that Lukashenko won 79.65% of the vote (he gained 5,130,557 votes) with 90.65% of the electorate voting.[94] The OSCE categorized the elections as "flawed" while the CIS mission observers approved the results as legitimate.[95][96] However, the OSCE also stated that some improvements were made in the run-up to the election, including the candidates' use of television debates and ability to deliver their messages unhindered.[97] Several European foreign ministers issued a joint statement calling the election and its aftermath an "unfortunate step backwards in the development of democratic governance and respect for human rights in Belarus."[98]

Lukashenko's inauguration ceremony of 22 January 2011 was boycotted by EU ambassadors, and only thirty-two foreign diplomats attended.[99] During this ceremony, Lukashenko defended the legitimacy of his re-election and vowed that Belarus would never have its own version of the 2004 Orange Revolution in Ukraine or Georgia's 2003 Rose Revolution.[99]

Effective 31 January 2011, the EU renewed a travel ban, prohibiting Lukashenko and 156 of his associates from traveling to EU member countries, as a result of the crackdown on opposition supporters.[100][101][102]

Lukashenko was supportive of China's Belt and Road Initiative global infrastructure development strategy, and the inception in 2012 of the associated low-tax China–Belarus Industrial Park near Minsk National Airport planned to grow to 112 square kilometres (43 sq mi) by the 2060s.[103][104]

Fifth term (2015–2020)

Lukashenko during a bilateral meeting with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi in 2016
Meeting of CIS leaders in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, September 2016

On 11 October 2015, Lukashenko was elected for his fifth term as the president of Belarus. Just over three weeks later, he was inaugurated in the Independence Palace in the presence of attendees such as former president of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma, Chairman of the Russian Communist Party Gennady Zyuganov and Belarusian biathlete Darya Domracheva.[105] On mid-September 2017, Lukashenko oversaw the advancement of joint Russian and Belarusian military relations during the military drills that were part of the Zapad 2017 exercise.[106][107]

In August 2018, Lukashenko fired his prime minister Andrei Kobyakov and various other officials due to a corruption scandal.[108] Sergei Rumas was appointed to take his place as prime minister.[108] In May 2017, Lukashenko signed a decree on the Foundation of the Directorate of the 2019 European Games in Minsk.[109]

In April 2019, Lukashenko announced that the games were on budget and on time and eventually he opened the 2nd edition of the event on 21 June.[110][111] Between 1–3 July 2019, he oversaw the country's celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the Minsk Offensive, which culminated in an evening military parade of the Armed Forces of Belarus on the last day, which is the country's Independence Day.[112]

Volodymyr Zelensky shaking hands with Lukashenko in Zhytomyr, October 2019

In August 2019, Lukashenko met with former Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who has lived in exile in Minsk since 2010, in the Palace of Independence to mark Bakiyev's 70th birthday, which he had marked several days earlier.[113] The meeting, which included the presentation of traditional flowers and symbolic gifts, angered the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry which stated that the meeting "fundamentally does not meet the principles of friendship and cooperation between the two countries".[114][115][116][117] In November 2019, Lukashenko visited the Austrian capital of Vienna on a state visit, which was his first in three years to an EU country. During the visit, he met with President Alexander Van der Bellen, Chancellor Brigitte Bierlein, and National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka. He also paid his respects at the Soviet War Memorial at the Schwarzenbergplatz.[118][119][120]

During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, he undertook two working visits to Russia, one of the few European leaders to undertake foreign visits during the pandemic. He also received Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán during his state visit to Minsk.[121] Orbán called for an end to EU sanctions on Belarus during this visit.[122] His first visit to Russia was to attend the rescheduled Moscow Victory Day Parade on Red Square together with his son.[123]

Sixth term (2020–present)

On 9 August 2020, according to the preliminary count, Lukashenko was re-elected for his sixth term as the President of Belarus.[124] US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that the election was "not free [or] fair".[125]

Mass protests erupted across Belarus following the 2020 Belarusian presidential election which was marred by allegations of widespread electoral fraud.[126][127] Subsequently, opposition presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya claimed she had received between 60 and 70% of the vote[128][129] and formed a Coordination council to facilitate the peaceful and orderly transfer of power in Belarus.[130][131]

Lukashenko, with a gun, arrived by helicopter in the Palace of Independence.

On 15 August 2020, Lithuanian foreign minister Linas Linkevičius referred to Lukashenko as the "former president" of Belarus.[132] It was reported that President Lukashenko's authorities asked Kremlin representatives about the possibility of Lukashenko escaping to Russia. Furthermore, it was reported that Russia admits that Lukashenko's resignation from the post of head of state is likely.[133][134]

On 17 August 2020, the members of the European Parliament issued a joint statement which stated that they do not recognise Alexander Lukashenko as the president of Belarus, considering him to be persona non grata in the European Union.[135] On 19 August, the member states of the European Union agreed to not recognise the results and issued a statement saying "The 9 August elections were neither free nor fair, therefore we do not recognise the results".[136] The governments of the United States,[137] United Kingdom and Canada have also refused to recognise the results. In an interview on 22 August, Josep Borrell explicitly stated that the European Union does not recognise Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus in the same manner that it does not recognise Nicolás Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela.[138]

On 23 August 2020, footage emerged showing Lukashenko at the Independence Palace in Minsk. In the first two videos, he is seen walking near a helicopter, wearing a bullet proof vest and holding an assault rifle (possibly an AK-47)[139] and then walking around the palace grounds. In the latter footage, Lukashenko was heard to say "Leave me alone," and "There is no one left there, right?". His 15-year-old son, Nikolai, was seen with him dressed in military uniform and holding a gun.[140][141]

In a third video, he is seen surveying protestors from a helicopter and is heard saying "How the rats ran away" in an apparent reference to the protesters. In a fourth video, Lukashenko was seen removing the former flag of Belarus from a flower bed, waving at security personnel and in reference to protesters, saying "we will deal with them".[142] On 30 August, the Independence Palace became again a scene of protests. When questioned about the whereabouts of Alexander Lukashenko on this day, his publicity team released an undated photograph of him walking around the grounds of the Independence Palace holding a gun.[143]

Lukashenko and Putin in February 2021

On 23 September 2020, Lukashenko was formally inaugurated president for a sixth term in a ceremony at the Palace of Independence attended by an invited group of 700 guests.[144]

On 27 November 2020, Lukashenko announced that he would resign once Belarus' new constitution was adopted.[145]

In December, the executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to exclude until further notice all members of the Belarusian Olympic Committee from all IOC events, specifically targeting Lukashenko who was elected as its chairman in 1997.[146]

On 17 April 2021, Russia's FSB security service exposed an alleged military coup and assassination attempt of Lukashenko.[147] Russia also stated that it prevented Lukashenko's murder.[147] Two suspects, who were detained at Lukashenko's request, were Alexander Feduta [ru; be] and Yuras Zyankovich.[147] Both are critics of Lukashenko, with the latter being a dual American-Belarusian citizen, despite Belarus not recognizing dual citizenship.[147]

On 24 April 2021, Lukashenko announced that he would sign a decree to amend emergency transfer of power. "I will sign a decree about how the power in Belarus will be set up. If the President is shot the security council will get the power." Lukashenko is the head of the Security Council himself; however, his eldest son, Victor Lukashenko, is regarded as its informal leader. Under current law, the prime minister assumes the presidential powers if the presidency becomes vacant, but Lukashenko said that the prime minister will only become the nominal leader and all decisions would be taken by the 20-person security council, by secret ballot.

Lukashenko during a bilateral meeting with Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev in Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2021

The president is yet to sign the decree and it would also be unconstitutional as Article 89 states how emergency transition of power is set up. This move was seen to empower his son, to be in the perfect position to succeed him in the next elections, to also prevent the opposition gaining power and as insurance against a "bad" prime minister. It is to note that all Security Council members are Lukashenko's most loyal allies.[citation needed]

On 5 May 2021, Belarusians in Germany filed a legal complaint against Lukashenko for 'state torture' and 'crimes against humanity.' If he enters Germany he risks trial or if convicted and enters Germany faces punishment given by court.[148] Lukashenko responded that Germany was not in a position to criticize him, referring to the German Government as the "Heirs of Fascism". At the same time, he said that he will not resign, a reversal from his statement in November, but said he will call early presidential elections if and only if the United States does so as well.[citation needed]

Lukashenko, Putin, Erdoğan, Xi Jinping, Modi and other leaders at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Samarkand, September 2022

On 9 May 2021, Lukashenko signed a presidential decree titled "On the Protection of sovereignty and constitutional order". The contingency decree states that in the event that the President is unable to perform his duties, martial law will be immediately imposed and presidential power will be transferred to the Security Council, which is widely believed to be made up of strong allies of Lukashenko. It also states that it is the responsibility of the Security Council to organise new presidential elections. Despite clearly contradicting Article 89 of the constitution, Belarusian authorities praised the decree and declared it fully complies with legislation and is constitutional.[citation needed]

On 24 June 2023, Lukashenko said he had negotiated with Yevgeny Prigozhin with the agreement of Vladimir Putin in ending the Wagner Group rebellion.[149] Lukashenko told Wagner that he would be squashed like bugs if he tried to enter Belarus and warned that Putin would never agree to remove top generals, including Defense minister Sergei Shoigu. He promised to accommodate Wagner's troops in Belarus.[150] He claimed that Putin desired to destroy the Wagner Group after the mutiny and he prevented Putin from materializing the obliteration of the group.[151] Lukashenko's rule in the crisis raised his clout internationally.[152]

Domestic policy

The political system of Lukashenko has become colloquially known as "Lukashism" or "Lukashenkoism".[153] John Sweeney summarised Lukashism as "a mutant version of the Soviet Union's deal with its people: they pretend to pay us, and we pretend to work; we pretend to vote for him; he pretends that the vote is fair".[154]

Lukashenko promotes himself as a "man of the people." Lukashenko wanted to rebuild Belarus when he took office;[155] the economy was in freefall due to declining industry and lack of demand for Belarusian goods.[156] Lukashenko kept many industries under the control of the government.[157] In 2001, he stated his intention to improve the social welfare of his citizens and to make Belarus "powerful and prosperous."[158]

With the ascent to power of Lukashenko in 1994, the Russification policy of Russian Imperial and Soviet era was renewed.[159][160][161][162] In 2006, Lukashenko said that people who speak Belarusian language cannot do anything, because nothing great can be expressed in Belarusian as the Belarusian language is a poor language and there are only two great languages in the world: Russian and English.[163][164]

Since the November 1996 referendum, Lukashenko has effectively held all governing power in the nation. Under the Constitution, if the House of Representatives rejects his choice for prime minister twice, he has the right to dissolve it. His decrees have greater weight than ordinary legislation. He also has near-absolute control over government spending; parliament can only increase or decrease spending with his permission.[42] However, the legislature is dominated by his supporters in any event, and there is no substantive opposition to presidential decisions. Indeed, every seat in the lower house has been held by pro-Lukashenko MPs for all but one term since 2004. He also appoints eight members of the upper house, the Council of the Republic, as well as nearly all judges.

Economy

Lukashenko's early economic policies aimed to prevent issues that occurred in other post-Soviet states, such as the establishment of oligarchic structures and mass unemployment.[165] The unemployment rate for the country at the end of 2011 was at 0.6% of the population (of 6.86 million eligible workers), a decrease from 1995, when unemployment was 2.9% with a working-eligible population of 5.24 million.[166] The per-capita gross national income rose from US$1,423 in 1993 to US$5,830 at the end of 2011.[167]

One major economic issue Lukashenko faced throughout his presidency was the value of the Belarusian ruble. For a time it was pegged to major foreign currencies, such as the euro, US dollar and the Russian ruble in order to maintain the stability of the Belarusian ruble.[168] Yet, the currency has experienced several periods of devaluation. A major devaluation took place in 2011 after the government announced that average salaries would increase to US$500.[further explanation needed][citation needed] The 2011 devaluation was the largest on record for the past twenty years according to the World Bank.[169]

Belarus also had to seek a bailout from international sources and, although it has received loans from China, loans from the IMF and other agencies depend on how Belarus reforms its economy.[170][171]

Some critics of Lukashenko, including the opposition group Zubr, use the term Lukashism to refer to the political and economic system Lukashenko has implemented in Belarus.[172] The term is also used more broadly to refer to an authoritarian ideology based on a cult of his personality and nostalgia for Soviet times among certain groups in Belarus.[173][174] The US Congress sought to aid the opposition groups by passing the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 to introduce sanctions against Lukashenko's government and provide financial and other support to the opposition.[175]

Lukashenko supporters argue that his rule spared Belarus the turmoil that beset many other former Soviet countries.[176][177] Lukashenko commented on the criticism of him by saying: "I've been hearing these accusations for over 10 years and we have got used to it. We are not going to answer them. I want to come from the premise that the elections in Belarus are held for ourselves. I am sure that it is the Belarusian people who are the masters in our state."[178]

COVID-19 pandemic

Lukashenko visited the Lida Central District Hospital in 2021, during his working trip to the Grodno region.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lukashenko stated that concerns about the pandemic were a "frenzy and a psychosis" and that working the tractors, drinking vodka and going to saunas could prevent people from infection from the virus. "People are working in tractors. No one is talking about the virus", Lukashenko said on 16 March 2020. "There, the tractor will heal everyone. The fields heal everyone". He also said: "I don't drink, but recently I've been saying that people should not only wash their hands with vodka, but also poison the virus with it. You should drink the equivalent of 40–50 milliliters of rectified spirit daily", but he advised against doing so while at work. Lukashenko described these comments as a joke.[179][180][181] By early May, Belarus was reported to have 15,000 diagnosed cases, one of the highest per capita rates of infection in Eastern Europe.[182]

On July 28, 2020, Lukashenko announced he had asymptomatic COVID-19.[183] Neither the Presidential Administration nor the country's health service have commented on this statement.[184][185]

On August 12, 2021, Lukashenko stated that he is strongly opposed to making vaccination mandatory. "There will be no mandatory vaccination in Belarus. I am strongly against it. Vaccination will remain voluntary. If a person wants to be vaccinated it is good, if not, let it be".[186]

Political repression

Torture, sexual abuse and other forms of repression

On September 1, 2020, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) declared that its experts received reports of 450 documented cases of torture and ill-treatment of people who were arrested during the protests following the presidential election. The experts also received reports of violence against women and children, including sexual abuse and rape with rubber batons.[187] According to the OHCHR, both male and female detainees were subjected to rape and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence. Medical records reviewed by OHCHR indicate lesions and other injuries to the male genitalia associated with forcible twisting and rape. Psychological violence, including threats of rape, was also used against detainees.[188]

At least three detainees suffered injuries indicative of sexual violence in Okrestino prison in Minsk or on the way there. The victims were hospitalized with intramuscular bleeding of the rectum, anal fissure and bleeding, and damage to the mucous membrane of the rectum.[189]

In an interview from September 2020 Lukashenko claimed that detainees faked their bruises, saying, "Some of the girls there had their butts painted in blue".[190] In November 2021, however, Lukashenko confirmed in an interview to the British Broadcasting Corporation that people were beaten in Okrestino, saying: "OK, OK, I admit it, I admit it. People were beaten in the Okrestina Detention Centre. But there were police beaten up too and you didn't show this."[191]

In January 2021, an audio recording was released in which the commander of internal troops and deputy interior minister of Belarus Mikalai Karpiankou tells security forces that they can cripple, maim and kill protesters in order to make them understand their actions. This, he says, is justified because anyone who takes to the streets is participating in a kind of guerrilla warfare. In addition, he discussed the establishment of camps, surrounded by barbed wire, where protesters will be detained until the situation calms down. A spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry stamped the audio file as a fake.[192][193]

However, a phonoscopic examination of the audio recording confirmed that the voice on the recording belongs to Karpiankou.[194] The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe expressed its concern about the remarks.[195] According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, such a camp was indeed used near the town of Slutsk in the days from 13 to 15 August 2020. Many of those detained there are said to have been brought from the Okrestina prison in Minsk.[196]

In March 2023, Lukashenko signed a law which allows to use capital punishment against officials and soldiers convicted of high treason.[197]

Forced disappearances

A demonstration in Warsaw in 2004, raising awareness about the disappearances of opposition activists in Belarus

In 1999 opposition leaders Yury Zacharanka and Viktar Hanchar together with his business associate Anatol Krasouski disappeared. Hanchar and Krasouski disappeared the same day of a broadcast on state television in which President Alexander Lukashenko ordered the chiefs of his security services to crack down on "opposition scum." Although the State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus (KGB) had them under constant surveillance, the official investigation announced that the case could not be solved. The investigation of the disappearance of journalist Dzmitry Zavadski in 2000 has also yielded no results. Copies of a report by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which linked senior Belarusian officials to the cases of disappearances, were confiscated.[198]

In September 2004, the European Union and the United States issued travel bans for five Belarusian officials suspected in being involved in the kidnapping of Zacharanka: Interior Affairs Minister Vladimir Naumov, Prosecutor General Viktor Sheiman, Minister for Sports and Tourism Yuri Sivakov, and Colonel Dmitri Pavlichenko from the Belarus Interior Ministry.[199]

In December 2019, Deutsche Welle published a documentary film in which Yury Garavski, a former member of a special unit of the Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs, confirmed that it was his unit which had arrested, taken away and murdered Zecharanka and that they later did the same with Viktar Hanchar and Anatol Krassouski.[200]

Assassination plans on dissidents abroad

On January 4, 2021, the EU Observer reported that new evidence, including documents and audio recordings, provide that Belarusian secret services planned to murder dissidents abroad.[201] An audio file, allegedly being a recording from a bugged meeting in 2012, reveals Vadim Zaitsev, the KGB chairman at the time, discussing the murder plot with two officers from the KGB's Alpha Group, an elite counter-terrorism unit. Translated from Russian, one of the voices in the recording says, "We should be working with Sheremet, who is a massive pain in the arse [inaudible]. We'll plant [a bomb] and so on and this fucking rat will be taken down in fucking pieces, legs in one direction, arms in the other direction. If everything [looks like] natural causes, it won't get into people's minds the same way."[201] In addition to planting a bomb, they also discuss poisoning Sheremet.

Allegations of state-sponsored hijacking

On 23 May 2021, Lukashenko personally ordered Ryanair Flight 4978 en route from Athens to Vilnius, carrying the opposition journalist Roman Protasevich, to land in Belarus.[202] The flight was forced to land at Minsk International Airport shortly before it reached the Lithuanian border after Belarusian air traffic control conveyed a report of explosives on board the plane. The flight was escorted by a Belarusian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jet. Belarusian authorities said no explosives were found and arrested Protasevich, who was placed in a list of "individuals involved in terrorist activity" the previous year for his role in the anti-government protests and incitement to Public disorder. The move was condemned by opposition figures, with Tsikhanouskaya saying that Protasevich "faces the death penalty" in Belarus.[203][204][205]

Foreign policy

Russia

With Russian president Vladimir Putin during a news conference in 2002

In the 1990s, Lukashenko and the then-Russian president Boris Yeltsin envisaged the formation of a Union State. Yeltsin suffered from poor health and alcoholism, which induced Lukashenko into thinking that he would lead both states. But After Yeltsin anointed Putin as his successor, Lukashenko stalled the merger.[152]

Lukashenko's relationship with Russia, once his powerful ally and vocal supporter, has significantly deteriorated. The run-up to the 2010 Belarusian presidential election was marked by a series of Russian media attacks on Lukashenko.[75] Throughout July state-controlled channel NTV broadcast a multi-part documentary entitled "The Godfather" highlighting the suspicious disappearance of the opposition leaders Yury Zacharanka and Viktar Hanchar, businessman Anatol Krasouski and journalist Dzmitry Zavadski during the late 1990s.[206] Lukashenko called the media attack "dirty propaganda".[207]

Lukashenko with Russian prime minister Mikhail Mishustin in 2020

Despite a historically good relationship with Russia, tensions between Lukashenko and the Russian government started showing in 2020.[208][209] On 24 January 2020, Lukashenko publicly accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of trying to make Belarus a part of Russia.[208] This led to Russia cutting economic subsidies for Belarus.[210] In July 2020, the relationship between Belarus and Russia was described as "strained" after 33 Russian military contractors were arrested in Minsk.[209]

Lukashenko afterwards accused Russia of collaborating with opposition activist Siarhei Tsikhanouski and trying to cover up an attempt to send 200 fighters from a private Russian military firm known as the Wagner Group into Belarus on a mission to destabilize the country ahead of its 9 August presidential election.[211][212] On 5 August 2020, Russia's security chief Dmitry Medvedev warned Belarus to release the contractors.[210] Lukashenko also claimed Russia was lying about its attempts to use the Wagner Group to influence the upcoming election.[213]

Meeting of the Russian-led military alliance, Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), in Moscow on 16 May 2022

On 11 November 2021, Lukashenko raised the possibility of interrupting the Yamal–Europe pipeline carrying Russian gas to the European Union if the bloc imposes further sanctions on Belarus.[214] Russian president Vladimir Putin said that Lukashenko had not consulted him before raising the possibility of stopping gas deliveries coming from Russia to the EU via a pipeline through Belarus, adding that such a move would risk harming ties between Belarus and Russia.[215]

In February 2022, Lukashenko permitted Russian forces to stage part of the invasion of Ukraine from Belarusian territory.[216] Commenting on the war in Ukraine Lukashenko has said that he didn't expect the conflict “drag on this way.”[217] In June 2023, Lukashenko claimed that "the only mistake we made’ was not finishing off Ukraine with Russia in 2014".[218]

European Union

Lukashenko's relationship with the EU has been strained, in part by choice and in part by his policies towards domestic opponents. Lukashenko's repression of opponents caused him to be called "Europe's last dictator" and resulted in the EU imposing visa sanctions on him and a range of Belarusian officials. At times, the EU has lifted sanctions as a way to encourage dialogue or gain concessions from Lukashenko.[219] Since the EU adopted this policy of "change through engagement", it has supported economic and political reforms to help integrate the Belarusian state.[220]

United States

With U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo in 2020

In March 2003, Lukashenko said that Belarus unanimously condemned the US-led Iraq War.[221]

On 29 August 2019, John Bolton, the National Security Advisor of the United States, was received by Lukashenko during his visit to Minsk, which was the first of its kind in 18 years.[222][223]

China

With Chinese leader Xi Jinping in 2023

Under Lukashenko, China and Belarus have maintained close ties, with him advocating an approach of "understanding China, learning from China, and approaching China."[224] In 2012, the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Wu Bangguo noted that Belarus has been rapidly developing under Lukashenko.[225] On 1 March 2023, Lukashenko met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, which produced a range of cooperation documents on industry, trade, agricultural, and other matters.[226]

Middle East

Following the 2014 Syrian presidential election, President Lukashenko congratulated President Bashar al-Assad. His cable "expressed keenness to strengthen and develop bilateral relations between Belarus and Syria in all fields for the benefit of the two peoples."[227]

Belarus condemned the NATO-led military intervention in Libya, and the foreign ministry stated that "The missile strikes and bombings on the territory of Libya go beyond Resolution 1973 of the UN Security Council and are in breach of its principal goal, ensuring safety of the civilian population. The Republic of Belarus calls on the states involved with the military operation to cease, with immediate effect, the military operations which lead to human casualties. The settlement of the conflict is an internal affair of Libya and should be carried out by the Libyan people alone without military intervention from outside."[228] They have not recognized the National Transitional Council.

Upon hearing the news regarding the death of Muammar Gaddafi, President Alexander Lukashenko said "Aggression has been committed, and the country's leadership, not only Muammar Gaddafi, has been killed. And how was it killed? Well, if they had shot him in a battle, it's one thing, but they humiliated and tormented him, they shot at him, they violated him when he was wounded, they twisted his neck and arms, and then they tortured him to death. It's worse than the Nazis once did." He also condemned the current situation of Libya and was critical regarding the future of the country.[229][230]

Others

His policies have been praised by some other world leaders. In response to a question about Belarus's domestic policies, President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela said "We see here a model social state like the one we are beginning to create."[231] In 2015, Lukashenko sought to improve trade relations between Belarus and Latin America.[232]

In March 2022, Australia sanctioned Lukashenko for giving "strategic support to Russia and its military forces" in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[233] Also in 2022, he was blacklisted by New Zealand[234] and Japan[235] on the same grounds.

In September 2023, Lukashenko, reacting to the 2023 North Korea–Russia summit, proposed a three-way cooperation pact with Russia and North Korea.[236]

Public life

Controversial statements

Lukashenko has made several controversial statements during his presidency which have been regarded as antisemitic, homophobic and misogynistic.

In 1995, Lukashenko made a remark in which he named Adolf Hitler as a role model for his presidential system in Belarus: "The history of Germany is a copy of the history of Belarus. Germany was raised from ruins thanks to firm authority and not everything connected with that well-known figure Hitler was bad. German order evolved over the centuries and attained its peak under Hitler. This corresponds with our understanding of a presidential republic and the role of a president in it."[237][238] Lukashenko refused to take the quote back, but stated that the consequences of Hitler's leadership style in foreign policy had been bad.[239]

In October 2007, Lukashenko was accused of making antisemitic comments; addressing the "miserable state of the city of Babruysk" on a live broadcast on state radio, he stated: "This is a Jewish city, and the Jews are not concerned for the place they live in. They have turned Babruysk into a pigsty. Look at Israel—I was there and saw it myself ... I call on Jews who have money to come back to Babruysk."[240][241] Members of the US House of Representatives sent a letter to the Belarusian ambassador to the US, Mikhail Khvostov, addressing Lukashenko's comments with a strong request to retract them,[242] and the comments also caused a negative reaction from Israel.[243]

Consequently, Pavel Yakubovich, editor of Belarus Today, was sent to Israel, and in a meeting with the Israel Foreign Ministry said that Lukashenko's comment was "a mistake that was said jokingly, and does not represent his positions regarding the Jewish people" and that he was "anything but anti-Semitic," and had been "insulted by the mere accusation."[244] The Belarusian Ambassador to Israel, Igor Leshchenya, stated that the president had a "kind attitude toward the Jewish people", and Sergei Rychenko, the press secretary at the Belarusian Embassy in Tel Aviv, said parts of Lukashenko's comments had been mistranslated.[245]

On 4 March 2012, two days after EU leaders (including openly gay German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle had called for new measures to pressure Lukashenko over alleged human rights abuses in Belarus at a summit in Brussels, Lukashenko provoked diplomatic rebuke from Germany after commenting that it was "better to be a dictator than gay"[246] in response to Westerwelle having referred to him as "Europe's last dictator" during the meeting.[247][248]

After some of the initial candidates for the 2020 Belarusian presidential election were imprisoned, three women involved with the candidates, led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya emerged as leading opposition against him and contested the results of the election. Lukashenko has spoken dismissively about the role of women in Belarusian society, saying that "society is not mature enough to vote for a woman" and, referring specifically to Tsikanouskaya, that "she just cooked a tasty cutlet, maybe fed the children, and the cutlet smelled nice [...] And now there's supposed to be a debate about some issues" and that the burden of the presidency would cause her to "collapse, poor thing".[249][250]

In July 2021, Lukashenko was accused of making antisemitic comments during his Independence Day speech to the armed forces; saying "the Jews managed to force the world to remember the Holocaust. The entire world grovels before them and gives in to them. They are afraid to say a single word out of place" and adding "We are tolerant and likeable. We left things alone until it got to the point where others started attacking us and the memory of our efforts." The Israeli government said the comments were "unacceptable" and summoned the chargé d'affaires at the Belarus embassy in Israel.[251][252][253][254]

Public opinion

Independent polling is tightly restricted in Belarus.[255] Surveys are monopolized by the government, which either does not publish its surveys or uses them for propagandistic purposes.[256]

Lukashenko's trademark moustache

According to a leaked internal poll, a third of the population had trust in Lukashenko.[255] The last credible public poll in Belarus was a 2016 poll showing approximately 30% approval for Lukashenko.[257]

Lukashenko is referred to as "Batska" (бацька, "father") by his supporters.[54]

During the 2020–21 Belarusian protests, opponents of Lukashenko began to refer to him as "Sasha 3%" on the basis that they believed that he was only supported by three percent of the Belarusian population.[258][259] The term has subsequently become a popular meme within the Belarusian opposition appearing on T-shirts and posters.[260] Lukashenko has also been referred to as "Tarakanishche" ("Cockroach") by his opponents in reference to the poem The Monster Cockroach, in which a moustached cockroach inflicts a reign of terror on the other animals before being eaten by a sparrow.[261]

Accusations of corruption

A film produced by Nexta, a Belarusian media service based in Poland, accuses Lukashenko of misappropriating EU funds on residences and automobiles. The film was uploaded to Telegram and YouTube, where it had over 6 million views. Lukashenko did not comment on the film directly, but on a factory visit in March 2021 claimed that opponents were creating a fake story to destabilize the country. Lukashenko states "I want you to understand: I have been working as president for a quarter of a century, and if there were already some billions, as they say, or palaces, I would have already been torn to pieces from all sides." An EU official, Ana Pisonero, said that accusations of Lukashenko misusing EU funds for buildings and residential properties were "speculation".[262][263]

Personal life

Marriage and children

Lukashenko with his sons

Lukashenko married Galina Zhelnerovich, his high school sweetheart, in 1975. Later that year, his oldest son, Viktor, was born. Their second son, Dmitry, was born in 1980. Galina lives separately in a house in the village Shklow.[264] Though they are still legally married, Galina Lukashenko has been estranged from her husband since shortly after he became president.[265] In a 2014 interview, Lukashenko said that they had not lived together for 30 years and the only reason they had not divorced was that he did not want to traumatize his adult sons.[266] Lukashenko has been seen on public occasions with various women; when asked about this in the same 2014 interview he explained that he did not want to sit with an official with a "sour face", preferring "My son on one side, and a girl on the other".[266]

Lukashenko fathered a son, Nikolai, who was born in 2004. Though never confirmed by the government, it is widely believed that Nikolai's mother is Irina Abelskaya—the two had an extramarital affair when she was Lukashenko's personal doctor.[267] There has never been any public statement about who Nikolai's mother is; Nikolai was raised solely by his father.[268] It has been reported by Western observers and media that Nikolai, nicknamed "Kolya", is being groomed as Lukashenko's successor.[269][270] According to Belarusian state media, these speculations were dismissed by Lukashenko, who also denied that he would remain in office for a further thirty years—the time Nikolai will become eligible to stand for election and succeed him.[271] Lukashenko has a pet dog, a spitz named Umka.[272]

Sports

Putin on friendly hockey match in Ice arena "Bolshoy", Sochi, in 2014. With him are Lukashenko, Viacheslav Fetisov and Valeri Kamensky.

Lukashenko used to play football, but stopped playing during his presidency.[273] His two elder sons also play ice hockey, sometimes alongside their father.[274] Lukashenko started training in cross-country running as a child, and in the 2000s still competed at the national level.[275] He is a keen skier and ice hockey forward.[276] In an interview he said that he plays ice hockey three times a week.[277] He has established the Belarus President's team, an amateur team which he sometimes plays for.[278] Numerous ice rinks intended to enable competitive ice hockey games to be played, have been built all over Belarus at Lukashenko's behest.[279] Lukashenko was instrumental in getting the 2014 IIHF World Championship in ice hockey to be hosted by Belarus which was considered controversial due to Lukashenko's repressive regime.[280] Belarus was supposed to host the 2021 IIHF World Championship in May 2021, but that was cancelled after international condemnation and threats by sponsors to withdraw.[281][282][283]

Religion and beliefs

Lukashenko describes himself as an "Orthodox atheist"[284] and has said that he believes that the president should be a conservative person and avoid using modern electronic technology such as a tablet or smartphone.[285] He used to play the bayan, a musical instrument similar to an accordion.[273]

Orders and honors

Alexander Lukashenko wearing the uniform of the commander-in-chief of the Belarusian Armed Forces in 2001
  • Medal "In memory of the 850th anniversary of Moscow" (1997)[286]
  • Order of Distinguished Citizen (Caracas, Venezuela, 2010)[302]
  • Order of Francisco Miranda, First Class (Venezuela, 2010)[303]
  • Order of Alexander Nevsky (Russia, August 30 2014)[308]
  • Order of St. Seraphim of Sarov, 1st Degree (2015) – for merits in protecting the spiritual values of the Belarusian people, maintaining church life and establishing peaceful relations between people of different faiths.[309]
  • Order of the Republic (Moldova, October 4, 2016) – as a sign of deep gratitude for the special merits in the development and strengthening of friendship, mutual understanding and cooperation in various areas between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Moldova and for the great personal contribution to providing significant support to our country in a difficult economic situation.[311][312]
  • Order of Heydar Aliyev (Azerbaijan, November 28, 2016) – for special merits in the development of friendly relations and cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Azerbaijan.[313][314]
  • Ig Nobel Prize (Peace in 2013, Medical Education in 2020)
  • Honorary Doctor of Science, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. He was deprived of his status on June 7, 2021 due to the forced landing of a Ryanair aircraft in Belarus. He became the first honorary doctor of science in the history of the university, who was deprived of this title.[317]

Explanatory notes

  1. ^ A number of countries do not recognize Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus since the 2020 Belarusian presidential election.[1][2][3]
  2. ^ Affiliated non-member
  3. ^ Russian: Александр Григорьевич Лукашенко, romanizedAleksandr Grigoryevich Lukashenko, IPA: [ɐlʲɪkˈsandr ɡrʲɪˈɡorʲjɪvʲɪtɕ lʊkɐˈʂɛnkə]
  4. ^ Belarusian: Аляксандр Рыгоравіч Лукашэнка,[6] IPA: [alʲækˈsand(ɐ)r rɨˈɣɔravʲit͡ʂ lukaˈʂɛnka]. In English, both transliterations from Belarusian and Russian are used, and his first name is often anglicized to Alexander.

References

  1. ^ "Belarus leader Lukashenko holds secret inauguration amid continuing protests". france24.com. 23 September 2020. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Belarus: Mass protests after Lukashenko secretly sworn in". BBC News. 23 September 2020. Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2024. Several EU countries and the US say they do not recognise Mr Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus.
  3. ^ "Exiled leader calls weekend of protests in Belarus". BBC News. 14 August 2020. Archived from the original on 22 August 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
    "Golos platform presents the final report on the presidential election". Voice of Belarus. 20 August 2020. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
    "EU rejects Lukashenko inauguration as illegitimate". Dw.com. 24 September 2020. Archived from the original on 7 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
    Ljunggren, Josh Smith (29 September 2020). "Britain and Canada impose sanctions on Belarus leader Lukashenko". Reuters. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
    "OSCE Report on the Presidential Elections 2020 in Belarus" (PDF). Osce.org. 29 October 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
    "Belarus protesters battered, bruised but defiant after 100 days". BBC News. 17 November 2020. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  4. ^ Mirovalev, Mansur (25 November 2021). "Europe's 'last dictator': Who is Belarus's Alexander Lukashenko?". Aljazeera. Archived from the original on 26 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Lukashenko reveals his military rank". belarus.by. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  6. ^ "Russia-related Designations and Designation Update; Belarus Designation and Designation Update; Magnitsky-related Designations". treasury.gov. 15 March 2022. Archived from the original on 21 June 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  7. ^ "Belarus – Government". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 18 December 2008. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2008.
  8. ^ a b "Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko under fire". BBC News. 11 September 2020. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  9. ^
  10. ^
  11. ^ "COUNCIL DECISION 2012/642/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Belarus". Official Journal of the European Union. Council of the European Union. 15 October 2012. Archived from the original on 7 April 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2013.Department of the Treasury (5 December 2012). "Belarus Sanctions". Government of the United States. Archived from the original on 16 December 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2013."EU slaps sanctions on Belarus leader Lukashenko for crackdown". BBC. 6 November 2020. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2020.Ljunggren, Josh Smith (29 September 2020). "Britain and Canada impose sanctions on Belarus leader Lukashenko". Reuters. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2020.COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2020/1648 of 6 November 2020 implementing Article 8a(1) of Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in respect of Belarus Archived 23 February 2022 at the Wayback Machine
    "Swiss freeze assets of Belarus leader Lukashenko". Reuters. 12 December 2020. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  12. ^ "El Pais interview with HR/VP Borrell: "Lukashenko is like Maduro. We do not recognize him but we must deal with him"". eeas.europa.eu. 24 August 2020. Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  13. ^ Dave Lawler, U.S. no longer recognizes Lukashenko as legitimate president of Belarus Archived 21 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine, Axios (24 September 2020).
  14. ^ "The milk split by the milk war". POLITICO. 24 June 2009. Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  15. ^ Скандал! Лукашенко изменил биографию (видео и фото) » UDF.BY | Новости Беларуси | Объединённые демократические силы Archived 24 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine. UDF.BY. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  16. ^ Официальный интернет-портал Президента Республики Беларусь/Биография Archived 7 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine. President.gov.by (11 May 1998). Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  17. ^ ТАК ГОВОРИТ ЛУКАШЕНКО Archived 28 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Zavtra. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  18. ^ "БелаПАН выяснил, почему изменилась дата рождения Александра Лукашенко". BelaPAN. 1 September 2010. Archived from the original on 12 June 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  19. ^ Малишевский, Виктор; Ульяна Бобоед (15 August 2003). В Минск из Канады летит троюродный племянник Лукашенко. Комсомольской Правды в Белоруссии (in Russian). Archived from the original on 31 July 2008. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
  20. ^ a b c d "Alexander Lukashenko: Dictator with a difference". The Daily Telegraph. London. 25 September 2008. Archived from the original on 26 September 2008. Retrieved 26 September 2008.
  21. ^ Astapova, Anastasiya (2016). "Political Biography: Incoherence, Contestation, and Elements of the Hero Pattern in the Belarusian Case". Journal of Folklore Research. 53 (2): 31–62. doi:10.2979/jfolkrese.53.2.02. JSTOR 10.2979/jfolkrese.53.2.02. S2CID 148428135. Archived from the original on 17 December 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  22. ^ ""Рослая, сильная, с характером". В Александрии похоронили мать Лукашенко". Tut.By. 26 May 2015. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  23. ^ "President Visits New Swimming Complex in Minsk". President of the Republic of Belarus. 20 September 2007. Archived from the original on 30 November 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  24. ^ "Biographical profile of the President". President of the Republic of Belarus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 17 October 2007.
  25. ^ "Александр Лукашенко, биография, новости, фото – узнай вce!" (in Russian). Unayvse. 30 August 2017. Archived from the original on 21 September 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  26. ^ Spector, Michael (25 June 1994). "Belarus Voters Back Populist in Protest at the Quality of Life". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 1 September 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2007.
  27. ^ Savchenko, Andrew (15 May 2009). "Borderland Forever: Modern Belarus". Belarus: A Perpetual Borderland. Brill Academic Pub. p. 179. ISBN 978-9004174481. Archived from the original on 21 May 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  28. ^ Jeffries, Ian (4 March 2004). "Belarus". The Countries of the Former Soviet Union at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century: The Baltic and European States in Transition. Routledge. p. 266. ISBN 978-0415252300. Archived from the original on 19 May 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  29. ^ Filtenborg, Emil; Weichert, Stefan (28 September 2020). "'He stopped listening... and became cruel': Lukashenko remembered by former campaign manager". Euro News. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  30. ^ a b c Hill, Ronald J. (2005). "Post Soviet Belarus". In White, Stephen; Korosteleva, Elena; John, Löwenhardt (eds.). Postcommunist Belarus. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 6–7. ISBN 9780742535558. Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  31. ^ Country Studies Belarus – Prelude to Independence Archived 10 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Library of Congress. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
  32. ^ "Пять инаугураций в Беларуси. Как менялся президент, его клятвы и обещания с 1994–го по 2015–й". Tut.By (in Russian). 7 November 2015. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  33. ^ Alyaksandr Lukashenka in: Encyclopædia Britannica Online, 2009.
  34. ^ Навумчык С. Дзевяноста пяты. Archived 30 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine (Бібліятэка Свабоды. ХХІ стагодзьдзе.) — Радыё Свабодная Эўропа / Радыё Свабода, 2015. — 320 с.: іл. ISBN 978-0-929849-73-7. p. 132–5
  35. ^ Сапраўдныя беларускія сімвалы: вось што трэба ведаць пра Пагоню і БЧБ Archived 21 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine, Наша Ніва, 22 лістапада 2020 г.
  36. ^ "1995 Referendum Questions". Archived from the original on 18 July 2011.
  37. ^ "Report on parliamentary elections in Belarus - 14 and 28 may 1995". OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  38. ^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p252 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  39. ^ Babkina, Marina (19 November 1996). "Lukashenko Defies Impeachment Move". AP New Archives. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  40. ^ "Центральной комиссии Республики Беларусь по выборам и проведению республиканских референдумов" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 January 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  41. ^ Bekus, Nelly (2012). Struggle over Identity: The Official and the Alternative "Belarusianness". Central European University Press. pp. 103–4. ISBN 978-9639776685. Archived from the original on 24 April 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  42. ^ a b Wilson, Andrew (6 December 2011). Belarus: The Last European Dictatorship. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0300134353. Archived from the original on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  43. ^ U.S. Relations With Belarus Archived 18 April 2021 at the Wayback Machine. US Department of State. 19 February 2014.
  44. ^ Lorek, Andreas (30 January 2009). Poland's Role in the Development of an 'Eastern Dimension' of the European Union – Andreas Lorek. GRIN Verlag. ISBN 9783640256716. Archived from the original on 12 May 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  45. ^ "NOC RB". National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus. 2002. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  46. ^ "Belarus appoints new national bank chief". BBC. 21 March 1998. Archived from the original on 20 April 2010. Retrieved 7 August 2007.
  47. ^ Maksymiuk, Jan (22 July 1998). "Eu punishes Belarusian leadership". RFE/RL Newsline, Vol. 2, No. 139, 98-07-22. From: Radio Free Europe/Radio Libert. Archived from the original on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  48. ^ "Poor Showing Reportedly Riles Ruler of Belarus". The Washington Post. Associated Press. 20 February 1998. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  49. ^ "The Statement of the Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko". Serbia Info News. Ministry of Information of the Republic of Serbia. 15 April 1999. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  50. ^ "Contemporary Belarus: Between Democracy and Dictatorship" (London: RoutledgeCurzon, 2003), with R. Marsh and C. Lawson
  51. ^ a b c "Lukashenko claims victory in Belarus election". USA Today. 10 September 2001. Archived from the original on 12 August 2007. Retrieved 17 October 2007.
  52. ^ Standish, M J A (11 January 2006). "Editor's notes." Jane's Intelligence Digest.
  53. ^ "Saddam aides may flee to Belarus: report". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 24 June 2003. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  54. ^ a b "Profile: Europe's last dictator?". BBC News. 10 September 2001. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  55. ^ "Belarus Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov interview for The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus". Mfa.gov.by. Archived from the original on 21 December 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  56. ^ "Observers deplore Belarus vote". BBC News. 18 October 2004. Archived from the original on 2 July 2017. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  57. ^ Collin, Matthew (3 October 2005). "Belarus opposition closes ranks". BBC News. Archived from the original on 8 January 2008. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  58. ^ "Gallup/Baltic Surveys announces impossibility of independent and reliable exit polls under present conditions in Belarus". Charter'97. 20 March 2006. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  59. ^ "Incumbent Declared Winner of Belarus Vote". Athens Banner-Herald. Associated Press. 20 March 2006. Archived from the original on 22 June 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2012. The gathering was the biggest the opposition had mustered in years, reaching at least 10,000 before it started thinning out, according to AP reporters' estimates.
  60. ^ "CIS, OSCE observers differ on Belarus vote". People's Daily. 21 March 2006. Archived from the original on 19 June 2009. Retrieved 13 October 2007. Election observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) declared the Belarus presidential vote open and transparent on Monday. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) did not assess the election positively.
  61. ^ Kramer, David (21 March 2006). "Ballots on the Frontiers of Freedom: Elections in Belarus and Ukraine". United States Department of State. Archived from the original on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  62. ^ a b "West slams Belarus crackdown". CNN. 24 March 2006. Archived from the original on 28 April 2007. Retrieved 17 October 2007.
  63. ^ Лукашенко: Последние выборы мы сфальсифицировали (in Russian). Tut.By. 23 November 2006. Archived from the original on 11 July 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  64. ^ "Poland, Belarus & Ukraine Report". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 28 November 2006. Archived from the original on 11 August 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  65. ^ "Rightist Group Promote Belarus Dictator Lukashenko as Russian Presidential Candidate". MosNews. 28 February 2007. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 11 July 2007. Alt URL[permanent dead link]
  66. ^ a b "Belarus clean sweep poll 'flawed'" Archived 3 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 29 September 2008.
  67. ^ "CIS: Monitoring The Election Monitors". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 2 April 2005. Archived from the original on 15 March 2010. Retrieved 24 September 2009.
  68. ^ "CIS observers: Belarus' elections meet international standards" (in Russian). National Center of Legal Information of the Republic of Belarus. 29 September 2008. Archived from the original on 17 June 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
  69. ^ "Opposition gewinnt keinen einzigen Sitz – Proteste in Weißrussland". Der Spiegel (in German). 29 September 2008. Archived from the original on 3 October 2008. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
  70. ^ Belarus leader meets Pope in landmark trip. Agence France-Presse. Google News (27 April 2009). Retrieved 19 May 2012.
  71. ^ ""Это дороже нефти". Как Лукашенко сделал картофель национальным продуктом Беларуси" (in Russian). Belta. 9 August 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  72. ^ "Юрий Касьянов о нападении на Украину: Путин прикажет, а картофельный фюрер сделает" (in Russian). Charter 97. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  73. ^ "Илья Яшин. Мы прямо сейчас безнадежно теряем Беларусь" (in Russian). Rosbalt. 26 May 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  74. ^ Belarus sets date of presidential election for 19 December 2010 Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine. News.belta.by (14 September 2010). Retrieved 19 May 2012.
  75. ^ a b RFE/RL. Has Moscow Had Enough Of Belarus's Lukashenka? Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. (19 July 2010).
  76. ^ a b "'Dirty tricks' taint Belarus vote". Al Jazeera. 18 December 2010. Archived from the original on 20 December 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  77. ^ "Activist fears over Belarus vote". Al Jazeera. 19 December 2010. Archived from the original on 23 December 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  78. ^ a b "'Hundreds of protesters arrested' in Belarus". BBC News. 20 December 2010. Archived from the original on 21 December 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  79. ^ "Police break up opposition rally after Belarus poll". BBC News. 19 December 2010. Archived from the original on 19 December 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
  80. ^ "Two Belarus presidential candidates say attacked by special forces". RIA Novosti. 19 December 2010. Archived from the original on 24 December 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
  81. ^ "Спецназ избил двух кандидатов в президенты Белоруссии; Некляев без сознания". Gazeta.ru. 19 December 2010. Archived from the original on 21 December 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
  82. ^ "Protesters try to storm government HQ in Belarus". BBC News. 20 December 2010. Archived from the original on 20 December 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  83. ^ "Belarus president re-elected". Al Jazeera. 20 December 2010. Archived from the original on 22 December 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  84. ^ "Protesters try to storm government HQ in Belarus". BBC. 20 December 2010. Archived from the original on 26 January 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  85. ^ "Belarus' Lukashenko re-elected, police crackdown". Reuters. 19 December 2010. Archived from the original on 23 December 2010. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  86. ^ "Hundreds arrested in Belarus protests". Financial Times. 20 December 2010. Archived from the original on 22 January 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  87. ^ "BBC News – Leading Belarus dissident Sannikov gets UK asylum". Bbc.co.uk. 26 October 2012. Archived from the original on 7 March 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  88. ^ "Center for Public Scholarship :: Alexander Otroschenkov". Newschool.edu. Archived from the original on 29 March 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  89. ^ "RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY | Media Advisory – Exiled Belarusian presidential candidate Ales Michalevic to visit Toronto". Newswire.ca. 23 November 2011. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  90. ^ United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (1 June 2011). "Jailed Belarusian opposition leader not allowed to see wife, father". Refworld. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  91. ^ "Swedish PEN awards prize to Uladzimir Nyaklyayew". Foreign Policy and Security Research, Forsecurity.org. 15 November 2011. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  92. ^ Taylor, Jerome (15 February 2013). "Captive Belarusian journalist Irina Khalip allowed to visit husband in Britain – Europe – World". The Independent. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  93. ^ Interview by Stephen Browne (21 February 2011). "BELARUSIAN DISSIDENT JAROSLAV ROMANCHUK". TheAtlasSphere.com. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  94. ^ СООБЩЕНИЕ об итогах выборов Президента Республики Беларусь (PDF) (in Russian). Central Election Commission of Belarus. 5 January 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 January 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  95. ^ "Russia-led observer mission says Belarus election legitimate". Reuters. 20 December 2010. Archived from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  96. ^ Parfitt, Tom (20 December 2010). "Belarus election: opposition leaders beaten as Lukashenko declares victory". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  97. ^ "Belarus still has considerable way to go in meeting OSCE commitments, despite certain improvements, election observers say". OSCE. 20 December 2010. Archived from the original on 23 December 2010. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  98. ^ Lukashenko the Loser Archived 9 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Joint letter of Foreign Ministers of Germany, Sweden, Poland and Czech Republic. NYTimes (24 December 2010)
  99. ^ a b Lukashenko Growls at Inauguration Archived 2 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Moscow Times (24 January 2011)
  100. ^ Dempsey, Judy (2 January 2011). U.S. and E.U. Join to Show Support for Belarus Opposition Archived 23 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine. New York Times
  101. ^ The European Union has News for Belarus's Alexander Lukashenko: You're Grounded Archived 21 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine. macleans.ca (17 February 2011).
  102. ^ COUNCIL DECISION 2011/69/CFSP Archived 5 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Official Journal of the European Union. (31 January 2011).
  103. ^ Jacopo Dettoni; Wendy Atkins (15 August 2019). "What the BRI brings to Belarus and Great Stone Industrial Park". fDi Intelligence. Financial Times. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  104. ^ Simes, Dimitri (16 July 2020). "Unrest threatens China's Belt and Road 'success story' in Belarus". Nikkei Asian Review. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  105. ^ "Belarus' Lukashenko at his swearing-in ceremony rejects calls for reforms". Fox News. 6 November 2015. Archived from the original on 16 October 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  106. ^ Neuman, Scott (14 September 2017). "NATO Nervous As Russia, Belarus Team Up For Cold-War-Style War Games". Npr.org. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  107. ^ "Russian War Games Aim To Head Off Another Color Revolution". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 29 March 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  108. ^ a b "Belarus president fires prime minister after corruption scandal". Theguardian.com. Agence France-Presse. 18 August 2018. Archived from the original on 20 January 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  109. ^ "II European Games 2019 Directorate set up". National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus. 12 May 2017. Archived from the original on 12 May 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  110. ^ "President Aleksandr Lukashenko Emphasises Significance of European Games For Belarus". Around the Rings. Archived from the original on 12 May 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  111. ^ "European Games open in Belarus". TRT World. 22 June 2019. Archived from the original on 3 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  112. ^ "Военный парад в честь 75-летия освобождения: Беларусь отметила День независимости". Tut.By. 3 July 2019. Archived from the original on 28 August 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  113. ^ "Alexander Lukashenko meets with former President of Kyrgyzstan Kurmanbek Bakiyev". tvr.by. 6 August 2019. Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  114. ^ "Lukashenka angers Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry". belsat.eu. Archived from the original on 8 August 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  115. ^ "В Министерство иностранных дел КР был вызван Временный Поверенный в делах Посольства Республики Беларусь в Кыргызской Республике С.Иванов – Министерство иностранных дел Кыргызской Республики". mfa.gov.kg (in Russian). Archived from the original on 8 August 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  116. ^ "Kyrgyz FM Summons Belarusian Ambassador Over Lukashenka-Bakiev Meeting". rferl.org. Archived from the original on 8 August 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  117. ^ "Новости | Официальный интернет-портал Президента Республики Беларусь". president.gov.by. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  118. ^ "Lukashenko ends his European isolation". amp.dw.com. Archived from the original on 13 November 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  119. ^ "Isolated Belarus looks towards Europe despite Russian overtures". aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 15 February 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  120. ^ "Belarus' leader visits Austria, pushes for closer EU ties". WKMG. 12 November 2019. Archived from the original on 19 November 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  121. ^ "About Hungary – Statement by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán following his talks with Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus". abouthungary.hu. 8 June 2020. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  122. ^ "Orbán urges end to EU sanctions on Belarus". 6 June 2020. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  123. ^ "Lukashenko: Belarus will not cancel Victory Day celebrations". eng.belta.by. 27 March 2020. Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  124. ^ "Belarus election: Clashes after poll predicts Lukashenko re-election". BBC News. 10 August 2020. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  125. ^ "US 'deeply concerned' over election in Belarus". The Hill. 10 August 2020. Archived from the original on 30 August 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  126. ^ Jones, Mark P. (2018). Herron, Erik S; Pekkanen, Robert J; Shugart, Matthew S (eds.). "Presidential and Legislative Elections". The Oxford Handbook of Electoral Systems. doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190258658.001.0001. ISBN 9780190258658. Archived from the original on 22 January 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2020. unanimous agreement among serious scholars that... Lukashenko's 2015 election occurred within an authoritarian context.
  127. ^ "Lukashenka vs. democracy: Where is Belarus heading?". AtlanticCouncil. 10 August 2020. Archived from the original on 22 August 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020. However, the vote was marred by allegations of widespread fraud. These suspicions appeared to be confirmed by data from a limited number of polling stations that broke ranks with the government and identified opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya as the clear winner.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  128. ^ "Belarus election: Exiled leader calls weekend of 'peaceful rallies'". BBC News. 14 August 2020. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  129. ^ "Belarus opposition candidate declares victory | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News". 3.nhk.or.jp.[permanent dead link]
  130. ^ "Ex-Belarusian presidential candidate Tikhanovskaya's HQ starts forming coordination council to ensure transition of power". Interfax-Ukraine. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  131. ^ "Thousands flood Belarus capital as election protests grow". AP NEWS. 14 August 2020. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  132. ^ "Tweet of Linas Linkevicius (@LinkeviciusL)". Twitter. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  133. ^ Лукашенко планирует бегтсво в Россию. searchnews (in Russian). 15 August 2020. Archived from the original on 22 August 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  134. ^ "Bloomberg узнал о планах окружения Лукашенко в случае его свержения". Газета.Ru. Archived from the original on 16 August 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  135. ^ "European Parliament does not recognize Lukashenko as elected president of Belarus". TASS. Archived from the original on 22 August 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  136. ^ "Conclusions by the President of the European Council following the video conference of the members of the European Council on 19 August 2020". European Council. 19 August 2020. Archived from the original on 22 July 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  137. ^ Dave Lawler, U.S. no longer recognizes Lukashenko as legitimate president of Belarus Archived 21 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine, Axios (24 September 2020).
  138. ^ Cué, Carlos E. (22 August 2020). "Borrell: "Lukashenko es como Maduro. No le reconocemos pero hay que tratarle"". El País (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 December 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  139. ^ "МАЯ КРАІНА БЕЛАРУСЬ". Telegram. Archived from the original on 13 September 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  140. ^ "NEXTA Live". Telegram. Archived from the original on 13 September 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  141. ^ "Белсат". Telegram. Archived from the original on 13 September 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  142. ^ "NEXTA Live". Telegram. Archived from the original on 13 September 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  143. ^ "Появилось новое фото Лукашенко с оружием — сегодня он тоже находился во Дворце независимости" [A new photo of Lukashenka with a weapon has appeared – today he was also in the Palace of Independence]. people.onliner.by (in Russian). 30 August 2020. Archived from the original on 31 August 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  144. ^ Kalinovskaya, Tatiana (24 September 2020). "Secret Lukashenko Inauguration Triggers Fresh Belarus Clashes". Moscow Times. Agence France Presse. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  145. ^ "Belarus' Lukashenko says he will leave his post, state media reports". NBC News. 27 November 2020. Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  146. ^ "IOC EB TAKES PROVISIONAL MEASURES AGAINST NOC OF BELARUS". The International Olympic Committee. 7 December 2020. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  147. ^ a b c d (in Ukrainian) One of the defendants in the "assassination attempt on Lukashenko" case is seeking refugee status in Ukraine Archived 6 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine, Ukrayinska Pravda (6 May 2021)
    (in Ukrainian) FSB involved Ukrainian nationalists in "preparing a coup in Belarus."[permanent dead link], Ukrayinska Pravda (17 April 2021)
  148. ^ Lawyers file suit against Belarus' Lukashenko in Germany Archived 7 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine, DW.com (5 May 2021)
  149. ^ "Wagner Chief Says His Rebel Troops 'Turning Back'". The Moscow Times. 24 June 2023. Archived from the original on 24 June 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  150. ^ "Russia bombs busy Ukraine restaurant as Wagner moves to Belarus". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 28 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  151. ^ Krebs, Rob Picheta,Katharina (27 June 2023). "Lukashenko claims he stopped Putin from 'destroying' Wagner group". CNN. Archived from the original on 28 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  152. ^ a b Mirovalev, Mansur. "Belarus role in Russia-Wagner feud 'boosts Lukashenko's clout'". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 27 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  153. ^ Dictionary Of Public Administration, 2007, ISBN 8176257842, p. 274 Archived 15 October 2023 at the Wayback Machine
  154. ^ John Sweeney , The Dark State – Part II Archived 15 October 2023 at the Wayback Machine, January 2, 2013
  155. ^ "Lukashenko's first term as president". Brussels Review. 16 March 2006. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 21 October 2007.
  156. ^ "Belarus – Industry". Country Studies. Library of Congress. 1995. Archived from the original on 23 September 2006. Retrieved 8 October 2007.
  157. ^ Karatnycky, Adrian; Alexander J. Motyl; Amanda Schnetzer (2001). Nations in Transit, 2001. Transaction Publishers. p. 101. ISBN 0-7658-0897-8.
  158. ^ "Lukashenko Sworn in as Belarusian President". People's Daily. 21 September 2001. Archived from the original on 12 June 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2007.
  159. ^ Vadzim Smok Archived 1 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Belarusian Identity: the Impact of Lukashenka's Rule Archived 18 April 2021 at the Wayback Machine // Analytical Paper. Ostrogorski Centre, BelarusDigest, 9 December 2013.
  160. ^ Belarus has an identity crisis Archived 26 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine // openDemocracy
  161. ^ Галоўная бяда беларусаў у Беларусі — мова Archived 15 April 2020 at the Wayback Machine // Novy Chas (in Belarusian)
  162. ^ Аляксандар Русіфікатар Archived 25 April 2020 at the Wayback Machine // Nasha Niva (in Belarusian)
  163. ^ Tsurkan, Kate (20 July 2023). "In Lukashenko's Belarus, Belarusian culture is not welcome". The Kyiv Independent. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  164. ^ Coakley, Amanda (28 October 2022). "Inside the Fight To Preserve the Belarusian Language". Time. Archived from the original on 6 February 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  165. ^ "The official internet-portal of the President of the Republic of Belarus/State Policy". President.gov.by. 11 May 1998. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  166. ^ "Labour". Belstat.gov.by. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  167. ^ "Belarus | Data". World Bank. 30 November 2012. Archived from the original on 29 December 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  168. ^ "National Bank to peg Belarusian ruble to foreign currency system in 2009 – Economy / News / Belarus Belarusian Belarus today | Minsk BELTA – Belarus Belarusian Belarus today | Minsk BELTA". News.belta.by. 17 June 2008. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  169. ^ "Ruble devaluation spreads panic among Belarusians". People's Daily. 26 May 2011. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  170. ^ "Belarus eyes new IMF loans – Xinhua | English.news.cn". Xinhua News Agency. 30 October 2012. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  171. ^ "BBC News – RBS agrees to end work for Belarus". BBC. 29 August 2011. Archived from the original on 1 December 2011. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  172. ^ Potupa, Aleksandr (2 May 1997). "Lukashism" has the potential to spread beyond Belarus Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Prism Volume: 3 Issue: 6.
  173. ^ Dubina, Yuras (1998). "A museum to commemorate victims of communism". Belarus Now. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2007. Belarusian MPs propose to dedicate a section in the future museum to Lukashism
  174. ^ "Beware of Lukashism!". Zubr. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  175. ^ Office of the Press secretary (20 October 2004). "Statement on the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004". The White House. Archived from the original on 17 June 2009. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  176. ^ Pavlov, Nikolai (27 March 2006). "Belarus protesters go on trial as new rallies loom". Belarus News and Analysis. Archived from the original on 9 October 2006. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  177. ^ The Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 Archived 12 December 2012 at the Wayback Machine. house.gov. 20 October 2004.
  178. ^ "Profile: Alexander Lukashenko". BBC News. 9 January 2007. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  179. ^ Dixon, Robyn (27 March 2020). "No lockdown here: Belarus's strongman rejects coronavirus risks. He suggests saunas and vodka". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 8 May 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  180. ^ Grez, Matias (29 March 2020). "Football is shut down across Europe due to the coronavirus, but in Belarus it's business as usual". CNN. Archived from the original on 30 March 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  181. ^ McLaughlin, Daniel. "Belarusian leader prescribes sport, sauna and vodka to beat Covid-19". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  182. ^ Khurshudyan, Isabelle (2 May 2020). "Coronavirus is spreading rapidly in Belarus, but its leader still denies there is a problem". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 8 May 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  183. ^ Haltiwanger, John. "Europe's last dictator got COVID-19 after telling people they could avoid it by drinking vodka and going to the sauna". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  184. ^ Montgomery, Blake (28 July 2020). "Belarus President, Who Said Vodka Would Cure the Coronavirus, Says He Tested Positive and Recovered". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  185. ^ Makhovsky, Andrei (28 July 2020). "Belarus president says he survived coronavirus 'on his feet'". Reuters. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  186. ^ "Lukashenko against mandatory vaccination in Belarus". eng.belta.by. 12 August 2021. Archived from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  187. ^ "UN human rights experts: Belarus must stop torturing protesters and prevent enforced disappearances". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 1 September 2020. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  188. ^ "Interactive dialogue on the High Commissioner's report on Belarus". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 17 March 2022. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022.
  189. ^ "Das verprügelte Minsk". Boell.de. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  190. ^ "Lukashenko blames Americans and drunks for Belarus protests". MSN. 9 September 2020. Archived from the original on 20 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  191. ^ "Belarus's Lukashenko tells BBC: We may have helped migrants into EU". British Broadcasting Corporation. 19 November 2021. Archived from the original on 20 November 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  192. ^ "Belarus authorities criticised over tape discussing internment camps for protesters". Reuters. 25 January 2021. Archived from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  193. ^ "'Use your weapon' Leaked recording implicates Lukashenko in authorizing use of lethal force against Belarusian protesters". Meduza. 25 January 2021. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  194. ^ "Кто говорил про "лагерь для острокопытных" на слитой аудиозаписи? Мы получили результаты экспертизы". Tut.By. 25 January 2021. Archived from the original on 2 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  195. ^ "OSCE demanding release of political prisoners in Belarus". Belsat. 3 February 2021. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  196. ^ "Detained Belarusian Protesters Describe August Stay In Internment Camp". Radio Liberty. 29 January 2021. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  197. ^ "Belarus approves death penalty for officials convicted of high treason". Reuters. Archived from the original on 25 July 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  198. ^ "16 Years of Silence: Enforced Disappearances in Belarus Must Be Investigated". Amnesty International. 18 September 2015. Archived from the original on 21 September 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  199. ^ "USA, EU declare Belarus officials personas non grata". Pravda. 28 September 2008. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  200. ^ Trippe, Christian F.; Sotnik, Ekaterina (16 December 2019). "Belarus: How death squads targeted opposition politicians". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  201. ^ a b "[Investigation] Exclusive: Lukashenko plotted murders in Germany". EUobserver. 4 January 2021. Archived from the original on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  202. ^ "Plane carrying Belarusian opposition figure ordered to divert to Minsk by President Alexander Lukashenko". Abc.net.au. 23 May 2021. Archived from the original on 23 May 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  203. ^ "Belarus forces Ryanair plane bound for Vilnius to land, infuriating Lithuania". Reuters.com. 23 May 2021. Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  204. ^ "Belarus 'diverts Ryanair flight to arrest journalist', says opposition". BBC News. 23 May 2021. Archived from the original on 23 May 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  205. ^ "Belarus diverts plane to arrest journalist, says opposition". Dw.com. 23 May 2021. Archived from the original on 23 May 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  206. ^ RFE/RL. Is Lukashenka In The Kremlin's Crosshairs? Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. (8 July 2010).
  207. ^ RFE/RL. Lukashenka Calls Russian Media Attacks 'Dirty Propaganda' Archived 21 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine. (29 July 2010).
  208. ^ a b "Lukashenka Accuses Moscow Of Pressuring Belarus Into Russian Merger". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 25 January 2020. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  209. ^ a b "Belarus: Lukashenko accuses Russian mercenaries, critics of plotting attack". Deutsche Welle. 31 July 2020. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  210. ^ a b "Russia warns Belarus will pay price for contractors' arrests". Stars and Stripes. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  211. ^ "Belarus ruler Lukashenko says Russia lying over 'mercenaries'". BBC News. 4 August 2020. Archived from the original on 17 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  212. ^ "Belarusian President Accuses Russia Of Trying To Cover Up Vagner Group Election Plot". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. August 2020. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  213. ^ "Belarus ruler says Russia lying over 'mercenaries'". BBC News. 4 August 2020. Archived from the original on 17 August 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  214. ^ "Belarus Warns Against New EU Sanctions, Says Could Cut Gas". The Moscow Times. 11 November 2021. Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  215. ^ "Putin chides Lukashenko over threat to cut off gas to EU". Politico. 13 November 2021. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  216. ^ Lister, Tim; Kesa, Julia (24 February 2022). "Ukraine says it was attacked through Russian, Belarus and Crimea borders". CNN. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  217. ^ "'Seemed like goodbye': Mariupol defenders make their stand". AP. 5 May 2022. Archived from the original on 11 May 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  218. ^ "Belarus' Lukashenko: 'The only mistake we made' was not finishing off Ukraine with Russia in 2014". Politico. 2 June 2023. Archived from the original on 29 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  219. ^ Czachor, Rafał (2011) Polityka zagraniczna Republiki Białoruś w latach 1991–2011. Studium politologiczne, Wydawnictwo DWSPiT, Polkowice, p. 299, ISBN 978-83-61234-72-2
  220. ^ Makhovsky, Andrei. "Belarus leader calls for dialogue with European Union". Reuters. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  221. ^ "Belarus Denounces Iraqi Aggression: Lukashenko". Pravda. 21 March 2003. Archived from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  222. ^ "John Bolton's Belarus trip stirs threat to Putin". Washington Examiner. 30 August 2019. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  223. ^ "Bolton Says U.S.-Belarus Dialogue Necessary, Despite 'Significant Issues'". rferl.org. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  224. ^ Li, Yan; Cheng, Enfu (1 December 2020). "Market Socialism in Belarus: An Alternative to China's Socialist Market Economy". World Review of Political Economy. 11: 438. doi:10.13169/worlrevipoliecon.11.4.0428. ISSN 2042-8928. S2CID 236786906. Archived from the original on 4 June 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  225. ^ "China Praises Lukashenko for His Successful Opposition to the West". The China Times. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  226. ^ "Xi and Lukashenko call for 'soonest' peace in Ukraine at China-Belarus summit". Reuters. 1 March 2023. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  227. ^ "President Assad receives Congratulations from the President of Belarus: Confidence in Syria Elimination of Current Crisis". Syriatimes.com. Archived from the original on 31 March 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  228. ^ "Statement released by the Foreign Ministry in connection with the missile strikes and bombings on Libya". Mfa.gov.by. Archived from the original on 26 March 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  229. ^ "Lukashenko outraged by Gaddafi's treatment". Kyivpost.com. 4 November 2011. Archived from the original on 4 July 2012. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
  230. ^ "Libya: Belarusian President Lukashenko says NATO 'did worse than the Nazis'". Archived from the original on 4 July 2012. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
  231. ^ "Chavez forges ties with Belarus". BBC News. 25 July 2005. Archived from the original on 8 March 2007. Retrieved 17 October 2007.
  232. ^ "Lukashenko highlights Belarus' cooperation with Latin America". Belarusian News. 25 June 2015. Archived from the original on 8 July 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  233. ^ "Australia places additional sanctions on Russia and Belarus". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Media release). 25 March 2022. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  234. ^ Nanaia Mahuta (16 May 2022). "Belarusian leaders and defence entities targeted under latest round of sanctions". Government of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  235. ^ "Japan hits Russia and Belarus with more sanctions over Ukraine invasion". The Japan Times. 8 March 2022. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  236. ^ "Belarus leader proposes three-way cooperation with Russia's Putin and North Korea's Kim". AP News. 15 September 2023.
  237. ^ "Bigotry in Belarus". The Jerusalem Post. 20 October 2007. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  238. ^ "Belarus leader defends Hitler praise". UPI. 27 November 1995. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  239. ^ "LUKASHENKO REFUSES TO RETRACT PRAISE OF HITLER". Jamestown Foundation. 28 November 1995. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  240. ^ In 1926 there were 21,558 Jews in Babruysk or 42% of the town's population; by 1989, they numbered just over 4% and by 1999 a mere 0.6%. See Jewish Heritage Research Group in Belarus Archived 2 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine
  241. ^ Sofer, Ronny (18 October 2007). "Belarus president attacks Jews". Ynet News. Yedioth Internet. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 19 October 2007.
  242. ^ "Kirk-Hastings Letter Calls on Belarusian President to Apologize for Blatantly Anti-Semitic Remarks". Office of Rep. Mark Steven Kirk. 2007. Archived from the original on 3 November 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
  243. ^ "FM Livni condemns anti-Semitic remarks made by Belarusian President". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 18 October 2007. Archived from the original on 21 October 2007. Retrieved 19 October 2007.
  244. ^ "News in Brief". Haaretz. 31 October 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
  245. ^ Herb Keinon (25 October 2007). "Belarus to send envoy to Israel". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 10 May 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  246. ^ Germany rebukes Lukashenko over anti-gay comment | euronews, world news Archived 12 December 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Euronews.com (5 March 2012). Retrieved 19 May 2012.
  247. ^ "Belarus's Lukashenko: "Better a dictator than gay"". Reuters. Berlin. 4 March 2012. Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2021. ...German Foreign Minister's branding him 'Europe's last dictator'
  248. ^ World News – 'Better a dictator than gay,' Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko says. MSN.com (5 March 2012). Retrieved 19 May 2012.
  249. ^ Nechepurenko, Ivan (11 October 2020). "In Belarus, Women Led the Protests and Shattered Stereotypes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  250. ^ Williams, Matthias (22 July 2020). "Dismissed as 'poor things', three women try to unseat male president of Belarus". Reuters. Archived from the original on 4 November 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  251. ^ "World bows to Jews, says Belarusian President Lukashenko in anti-Semitic outburst". Wionews.com. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  252. ^ "Belarus President condemned by Israel for saying world "bows" to Jews over Holocaust". Newsweek.com. 7 July 2021. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  253. ^ "Belarusian president: Whole world 'bows' to Jews due to Holocaust". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  254. ^ "Belarus leader: Jews caused the world 'to kneel' before them". Timesofisrael.com. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  255. ^ a b Higgins, Andrew (22 June 2020). "Political Grip Shaky, Belarus Leader Blames Longtime Ally: Russia". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  256. ^ Shraibman, Artyom. "The House That Lukashenko Built: The Foundation, Evolution, and Future of the Belarusian Regime". Carnegie Moscow Center. Archived from the original on 18 June 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  257. ^ "Belarus presidential election: Will the lights go out on Lukashenko?". euronews. 12 June 2020. Archived from the original on 13 June 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  258. ^ Wesolowsky, Tony (25 June 2020). "Sasha 3%? Belarusians Poke Fun At President's Slipping Support". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  259. ^ "Protests shake up Belarus presidential election". BBC News. 7 August 2020. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  260. ^ Marszałkowski, Mariusz (4 August 2020). "A hot August in Belarus. Is a breakthrough coming?". biznesalert.com. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  261. ^ Wesolowsky, Tony (27 May 2020). "Although Banned From Running, Vlogger's Calls To Cast Out 'Cockroach' Lukashenka Resonating With Many Belarusians". Archived from the original on 26 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  262. ^ "'Lukashenko. Goldmine': film alleging Belarusian leader has gilded life gets 3 million views online". Reuters. 10 March 2021. Archived from the original on 25 November 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  263. ^ "Did Alexander Lukashenko misuse EU funds in Belarus?". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 25 November 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  264. ^ "Кто живет в бывшем доме Лукашенко". The Village Беларусь. 2 November 2019. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2021., "Стало известно, сколько Лукашенко заработал за прошлый год". Комсомольская правда в Белоруссии (in Russian). 15 July 2020. Archived from the original on 7 September 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  265. ^ ЛЯШКЕВИЧ, Анна. "Галина Лукашенко: Саша – необыкновенный человек". Комсомольская правда в Белоруссии (in Russian). БелаПАН. Archived from the original on 2 March 2009. Retrieved 26 December 2008.
  266. ^ a b "Straight-Talking Alyaksandr Lukashenka On Life, Women, and Politics". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 22 May 2014. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  267. ^ Parfitt, Tom (6 April 2009). "Belarus squirms as son follows in dictator's steps". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 6 September 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
  268. ^ Beckhusen, Robert (7 February 2012). "Belarus Dictator Says He's Totally Not Building a Dynasty". Wired. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  269. ^ Walker, Shaun (29 June 2012). "Who's that boy in the grey suit? It's Kolya Lukashenko – the next dictator of Belarus..." The Independent. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  270. ^ Haddadi, Anissa (29 June 2012). "The Belarus Boy Wonder: Nikolai Lukashenko, 7, Anointed to become President". International Business Times. IBTimes Co. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  271. ^ "Lukashenko denies reports he is grooming Nikolai as his successor". Belarusian News. BELTA. 22 October 2012. Archived from the original on 15 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  272. ^ "Lukashenko takes dip in icy waters near Minsk to mark Epiphany". Archived from the original on 4 February 2021.
  273. ^ a b Александр Лукашенко разучился играть на баяне Archived 21 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine. km.ru. 15 January 2013.
  274. ^ Президент-хоккей Александра Лукашенко Archived 20 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine. ng.ru. 1 October 2003.
  275. ^ Александр Лукашенко выиграл лыжные соревнования Archived 7 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine. vsesmi.ru. 3 March 2007.
  276. ^ Ветераны «Сборной звезд мира» проведут товарищескую игру Archived 6 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine. sports.ru. 12 December 2008.
  277. ^ "Lukashenko fields questions, ranging from the serious to the personal, in an unusual interview". BelTa. The Belarusian Telegraph Agency. 11 January 2021. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  278. ^ "Belarus President's team win amateur ice hockey tournament for 11th time". Belarus.by. 13 April 2020. Archived from the original on 7 February 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  279. ^ Nikolaj Ńielsen (23 March 2012). "Ice Hockey finals in Belarus still on schedule". EUObserver. Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  280. ^ Wilson, Andrew (2011). "Lukashenko's Game is up". Current History. 110 (738): 277–282. doi:10.1525/curh.2011.110.738.277.
  281. ^ "Situation in Belarus. European Parliament resolution of 17 September 2020 on the situation in Belarus (2020/2779(RSP))" (PDF). Europarl.europa.eu. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 August 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  282. ^ "Skoda to withdraw sponsorship if Belarus hosts hockey worlds". APNews. 16 January 2020. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  283. ^ "Ice Hockey: Belarus must meet 'specific requirements' to host World Championship". Deutsche Welle. 14 January 2021. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  284. ^ "Belarus president visits Vatican". BBC News. 27 April 2009. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
  285. ^ Д.Медведев объяснил, почему заменил iPad блокнотом Archived 7 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine. rbc.ru. 15 May 2013.
  286. ^ "In Moscow, the Presidents agreed..." WWW Belarus. 18 June 2009. Archived from the original on 18 June 2009.
  287. ^ Лауреаты Международной премии Андрея Первозванного "За Веру и Верность". 1993–2005 годы (in Russian). Фонд Святого Всехвального апостола Андрея Первозванного. 1995. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  288. ^ "Jomsa Volume 55/3/13" (PDF). omsa.org. January 2000. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  289. ^ А.Г. Лукашенко награжден орденом Хосе Марти. Вечерний Минск (in Russian). 5 September 2000. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  290. ^ Белоруссия. Zatulin.ru (in Russian). 15 November 2000. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  291. ^ Олимпийский приз для Беларуси (in Russian). Пресс-центр НОКа. 12 June 2006. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  292. ^ "Президент России". Archive.kremlin.ru. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  293. ^ "Honorary Citizens of Yerevan" (in Russian). City of Yerevan, Armenia. Archived from the original on 16 January 2008. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  294. ^ Korobov, Pavel (11 May 2005). Патриарх наградил Александра Лукашенко. Religare.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  295. ^ Президент Беларуси Александр Лукашенко удостоен медали "За развитие мирового фестивального движения" (in Russian). Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the Russian Federation. 18 July 2005. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  296. ^ Александр Лукашенко награжден орденом Белорусской Православной Церкви (in Russian). Maranatha. 26 September 2006. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  297. ^ В Минске прошло заседание Межгосударственного Совета ЕврАзЭС (in Russian). President of the Republic of Belarus. 23 June 2006. Archived from the original on 10 November 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  298. ^ "Александр Лукашенко награжден орденом Святого Владимира I степени / Новости / Патриархия.ru". Патриархия.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  299. ^ "TUT.BY | НОВОСТИ - 9 декабря 2007 - Лукашенко награжден высшей наградой Венесуэлы - орденом Освободителя". 25 February 2008. Archived from the original on 25 February 2008. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  300. ^ "Александр Лукашенко награжден орденом Святого Владимира I степени". Патриархия.ru (in Russian). 5 June 2007. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  301. ^ "Presidente Chávez se reúne con su par bielorruso Lukashenko". Mre.gov.ve. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  302. ^ "Jorge Rodríguez | Alcalde de Libertador " " Alcalde Jorge Rodríguez entrega llaves de la Ciudad de Caracas al Presidente Lukashenko". Jorgerodriguez.psuv.org.ve. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
  303. ^ "Лукашенко получил орден за заслуги перед Венесуэлой | naviny.by". 23 November 2020. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  304. ^ "Ukazi o odlikovanjima". Predsednik.rs (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 18 June 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  305. ^ "Meeting with President Tomislav Nikolić of the Republic of Serbia". President.gov.by. Archived from the original on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  306. ^ "State Awards Issued by Georgian Presidents in 2003–2015". Institute for Development of Freedom of Information. 10 May 2018. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  307. ^ ИН4С (12 June 2014). "СПЦ: Орден Светог Саве за Александра Лукашенка". ИН4С (in Serbian). Retrieved 4 March 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  308. ^ "Putin signed the decree about Lukashenko's rewarding with the Order of Alexander Nevsky" Archived 8 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine. itar-tass.com. 30 August 2014.
  309. ^ "Патриарх Кирилл вручил Лукашенко орден преподобного Серафима Саровского I степени - ТАСС". TACC. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  310. ^ "Лукашенко награжден нагрудным знаком Следственного комитета «За заслуги» | naviny.by". 17 November 2020. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  311. ^ "PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA DECREE Nr. 2364 fire 04.10.2016". lex.justice.md. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  312. ^ "Лукашенко вручат высшую государственную награду Молдовы - Новости Политики - Новости Mail.Ru". 6 October 2016. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  313. ^ "Распоряжение Президента Азербайджанской Республики о награждении А.Г.Лукашенко орденом «Гейдар Алиев» » Официальный сайт президента Азербайджанской Республики". president.az (in Russian). Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  314. ^ "Лукашенко награжден орденом Гейдара Алиева". 29 November 2016. Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  315. ^ Первый Президент Казахстана встретился с Президентом Республики Беларусь Александром Лукашенко Archived 29 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine (in Kazakhstani), 28 March 2019. Accessed on 10 October 2019.
  316. ^ "Nursultan Nazarbayev presents Order of Yelbasy to Alexander Lukashenko". inform.kz. 28 May 2019. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  317. ^ Новости, Р. И. А. (7 June 2021). "Киевский вуз лишил Лукашенко звания почетного доктора наук". РИА Новости (in Russian). Retrieved 4 March 2023.

External links

Political offices
Preceded byas Chairperson of the Supreme Council of Belarus President of Belarus
1994–present
Incumbent
Preceded by
Office established
Member of the Supreme Council of Belarus
1991–1994
Succeeded by
Office abolished
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Office established
Chairman of the Supreme State Council

of the Union State
2000–present

Incumbent