Belarus' Absence from the EU-Russian Competition

Ukraine is in the midst of a political crisis over its future relationship with the European Union and Russia, and tensions over the same issue have risen in Moldova and Georgia. However, one country in the region has been very quiet on this matter: Belarus. Belarus is unique in the European periphery for its lack of any strong pro-Western movements and its substantial ties with Russia, which have only strengthened in recent years. As long as the Belarusian regime is not seriously threatened, Minsk will continue to eschew ties with the West and remain closely aligned with Moscow while serving as a platform for potential Russian retaliation against the West.