Unfortunately, tyranny is on the rise in Eastern Europe. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war of conquest of democratic Ukraine is emblematic of this sad trend. Less widely reported is the widespread terror and repression unleashed by “Europe’s last dictator,” Alexander Lukashenko, in neighboring Belarus.
Lukashenko is known as Putin’s closest ally — he allowed Putin to send troops and station nuclear weapons in Belarus, putting the country at the center of the Ukraine crisis — and he is content to allow Putin to exert influence and control in Belarus as long as it helps him maintain power.
Nearly everyone in Belarus lives in fear of a knock on their door. Suspicion of disloyalty or opposition to Lukashenko’s regime is almost always punishable by death. KGB agents force confessions from innocent people and post them online to spread fear.
But the people of Belarus are resisting Lukashenko’s tyranny. In 2020, voters courageously rejected dictatorial rule and voted overwhelmingly for democracy. But Lukashenko (with Putin’s support) stole the elections from the Belarusian people, dismantled free and fair elections, and illegally clung to power.
The total number of political prisoners being treated harshly in Belarus is unknown, but many of their names are known. In the 2020 elections, Sergei Tikhanovsky was President Lukashenko’s main political opponent. He was arrested and removed from the race. (He is also the husband of Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, one of the authors of this article, who took over as opposition leader after his imprisonment.) Sergei has been held in incommunicado detention for over 400 days, and even his family has not heard from him.
And he is not alone: several key opposition figures, including Maria Kolesnikova, Mikalai Statkevich and Maxim Znak, have also been missing for over a year, and there are worrying reports about the health of Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialyacki, who is being held in inhuman conditions by Lukashenko’s cronies.
As the NATO summit begins, our allies and partners should take steps to support the pro-democracy movement on the ground in Belarus and increase pressure on Putin’s crony, Lukashenko, and ultimately Putin himself.
First, we must provide refuge for Belarusian pro-democracy activists seeking asylum, assist those who successfully gain asylum, and provide comprehensive support to the Belarusian freedom movement, including independent media, civil society organizations, human rights defenders, and oppressed people.
Second, we must impose tough sanctions on Russia’s anti-democratic activities and isolate Putin and his economy from the democratic world.
Third, both Putin’s Russia and Lukashenko’s Belarus need to be designated “state sponsors of terror.” In 2023, Russia was designated a “country of particular concern” due to Putin’s ongoing campaign of brutality and repression. It is past time to go further.
Make no mistake. Putin and Lukashenko are as great a danger to the world order as Adolf Hitler once was. History warns us that we must never be afraid to stand up to repressive dictatorships that seek to kill democracy. We feel a kinship with the Belarusian rebels and the Ukrainian freedom fighters. As they fight for their own liberation, they are beacons of freedom for Europe, and the world. We must be there for them until democracy prevails.
75 years after the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty, thanks to President Biden’s leadership, the Western nations remain “united on the great principles of freedom and justice for mankind.” But unity of purpose must be accompanied by action. Let us continue the fight for freedom and justice for the people of Belarus, for the people of Ukraine, and for all mankind.
