Belarus: Background and U.S. Policy Concerns

Publication Date: April 2005

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Government

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Abstract:

In the past decade, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has snuffed out Belarus's modest progress toward democracy and a free market economy and created an authoritarian, Soviet-style regime. Belarus held parliamentary elections in October 2004, as well as a referendum to permit Lukashenko to seek a third term in office in 2006. In a vote condemned by the U.S., EU and OSCE as falling well short of international standards, Lukashenko won the referendum and his supporters won all of the seats in the parliament. Belarus's economy is the most unreformed in Europe, according to an assessment by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Repression in Belarus has increased since the victory of prodemocratic forces in neighboring Ukraine in January 2005.

Of the republics of the former Soviet Union, Belarus has perhaps the closest historical and cultural ties to Russia. Efforts to establish a political and economic "union" between the two countries have had substantial public support in Belarus. Nevertheless, the pace of integration between Belarus and Russia remains slow, in large part due to Lukashenko's refusal to undertake economic reforms. Current Russian policy toward Belarus appears to be focused less on forcing the pace of integration efforts directed from the top, and more on gaining control of Belarus's economic assets (particularly oil and natural gas pipelines), while minimizing the costs of subsidizing the unreformed Belarusian economy. Russia and Belarus have close military ties. Russian and Belarusian air defenses are closely integrated, and Russia has supplied Belarus with its best air defense equipment. A small number of Russian troops remain in Belarus, in part to run a naval radio station and an early warning radar station. Russian strategic bombers are also stationed in Belarus, although reportedly without nuclear weapons. Russia appears to value the sometimes unpredictable Lukashenko as an ally, particularly since a pro-Western leadership came to power in Ukraine.

U.S. officials have sharply criticized Lukashenko as "Europe's last dictator." They have also expressed concerns about Belarus's arms sales and other ties to rogue regimes, such Saddam Hussein's Iraq. The United States pursues a policy of "selective engagement," which limits ties to the regime, while providing modest support to pro-democracy organizations in Belarus. The 108th Congress responded to the situation in Belarus with legislation. In the first session of the 108th Congress, the Belarus Democracy Act (H.R. 854 and S. 700) was introduced. On February 25, 2004, the House International Relations Committee approved a modified version of the bill. The bill authorizes aid for pro-democracy forces in Belarus and funding for increased broadcasting to Belarus by Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The bill supports sanctions on Belarus and top leaders of the Lukashenko regime until Belarus meets specific democratic and human rights criteria. The bill also requires the President to report within 90 days and every year thereafter on the sale by Belarus of weapons or weapons-related assistance to regimes supporting terrorism, and on the personal wealth of Lukashenko and other senior Belarusian leaders. The President signed the modified Belarus Democracy Act on October 20, 2004 (P.L. 108-347).