I will be writing a weekly column for The Atlantic Council’s BelarusAlert and reposting here. Below is my column from February 3, 2021.
As Alyaksandr Lukashenka was heaping praise on Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and baselessly warning that United States and the European Union were seeking to stage coups in both Russia and Belarus, opposition leader Svyatlana Tskihanouskaya was looking West.
In a tweet on January 30, Tsikhanouskaya thanked Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda for nominating her for the Nobel Peace Prize, calling it a “great expression of solidarity with Belarus” and an acknowledgment of our peaceful fight for freedom.”
The juxtaposition of Lukashenka’s tight embrace of Putin with Tsikhanouskaya’s public gratitude toward Nauseda both symbolizes and reflects an ongoing struggle for Belarusian political identity amid continuing anti-government protests and a brutal crackdown against dissent. Continue reading…
