Belarus was part of the Russian empire at various points throughout history prior to the formation of the Soviet Union. During the 19th century, the imperial Russian government
By GDR
Recent tensions in the post-Cold War European order have brought international urgency and importance to the strategic orientation of Belarus, a country situated at the crossroads of Russian and Western spheres of influence. Since independence, Belarus has relied closely on Russia to provide economic and military support as well as political legitimacy. However, recent conflicts in Eurasia have highlighted and widened the gulf between Russian and Belarusian strategic goals. Therefore, the fundamental challenge for Minsk is determining exactly how to maintain its materially beneficial relationship with Moscow while also asserting its sovereignty and strategic independence in the face of increasingly unstable Russian economic and military policy.
