Lukashenko has been in power since 1994 and has relied on subsidies and political support from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who also helped him survive the 2020 protests. Belarus' authoritarian ...

A close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko seems unbothered by his characterisation as a ruthless autocrat, telling lawmakers in an annual address in 2022: "I am a dictator, it's ...

Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular the war started by Moscow. He also covers other areas of geopolitics including ...

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko on winning a sham presidential election this weekend. “Dear Aleksandr Grigorievich, I sincerely congratulate you on ...

Unpredictable, authoritarian and staunchly pro-Russian, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko casts himself as a plain-spoken strongman and "president of the ordinary people". Described in the ...

A close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko seems unbothered by his characterisation as a ruthless autocrat, telling lawmakers in an annual address in 2022: "I am a dictator ...