Belarus
Belarus reports modest GDP growth 1.6% in 8M25
Belarus’ economy expanded by 1.6% in the period from January to August 2025, according to preliminary estimates from the National Statistical Committee, state news agency BelTA reported on 17 September.
Russia's Zapad -2025 military exercises are a show of strength as military tensions in Europe rise
The joint Russia and Belarus military exercises get underway on September 12 that will be closely watched by Nato analysts to gauge how strong Russia’s military has become after more than three years of war.
#BREAKING: Belarus releases another 52 prisoners after talks with US
Belarus has released another 52 prisoners following negotiations with the US , with President Alexander Lukashenko granting pardons on what state media described as humanitarian grounds, the BelTA news agency reported on September 11.
_0_1757608964.jpg)
#UPDATE: US lifts sanctions on Belarusian Belavia airline
The United States has lifted sanctions on Belarus’s state-owned airline Belavia, US Presidential Representative John Cole announced during a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko
Hungarian foreign minister fails to condemn Russian drone attack during Belarus visit
Peter Szijjarto avoided blaming Russia for drones crossing Polish airspace and causing damage, a stance in line with Budapest’s longstanding reluctance to confront Moscow directly.
Poland shoots down Russian drones after airspace breach, authorities say
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he was in “constant contact" with the defence ministry and President Karol Nawrocki.
Xi pitches an equitable “multipolar” world order leveraging Global South “mega-markets power” at SCO summit
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Global South leaders to leverage their "mega-scale market" and strive for a new equalitarian multipolar world order at the SCO summit in China.
Lukashenko offers to release 1,300 political prisoners – if they leave the country
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s latest proposal to release political prisoners on the condition of immediate exile marks a calculated extension of his decades-long repressive rule, not a departure from it.
COMMENT: Can Lukashenko capitalise on thaw in relations with the US?
When Donald Trump picked up the phone en route to his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15, his brief call with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko marked an unprecedented diplomatic moment.
Belarus and Iran pledge enhanced ties in high-level talks
Belarusian and Iranian leaders have pledged to deepen bilateral cooperation and accelerate the implementation of agreements between the two heavily sanctioned countries.
Belarus’ veteran babushka protestor Nina Bahinskaya named an “extremist” by Belarusian authorities
Belarus’ authoritarian regime has named the iconic 78-year old protestor legend, Nina Bahinskaya, an extremist and added her to the to the Interior Ministry’s official list.
COMMENT: Belarus potato crisis
Belarus economic mismanagement and Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko growing proclivity for Soviet-era fixes has caused a potato crisis that is emblematic of Belarus’ deepening economic problems.
Russia counters Trumps nuclear submarines, abandons self-imposed limits on short- and medium-range missiles
Russia has declared it will no longer observe self-imposed restrictions on deploying medium- and short-range missiles, ending a moratorium introduced after the collapse of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with the United States.
COMMENT: Can BRICS deliver beyond the rhetoric? experts weigh in
BRICS has evolved from an emerging economies club into a coalition Trump sees as threatening enough to warrant tariffs. Experts reveal tensions between China's dominance and multipolar goals, with institutional gaps but growing Global South support.
Belarus drone breach prompts diplomatic protest from Lithuania
a Russian-made Gerbera drone entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus and crashed about one kilometer inside Lithuania, close to the closed Šumskas border checkpoint.
A stray drone and the shadow of war: How fear and mistrust are pushing Nato and Belarus to the brink
In today’s Europe, even a foam-and-plywood drone can trigger fighter jets, send heads of state scurrying for shelter and deepen fears of war.
Belarus pushes for BRICS membership amid geopolitical bargaining and Western scrutiny
Belarus is walking a diplomatic tightrope, trying to strengthen ties with emerging powers like the BRICS while quietly seeking to ease Western sanctions.
BRICS leaders gather in Rio to challenge Western dominance
Leaders from the BRICS group have convened in Rio de Janeiro for their 17th annual summit, casting the expanded bloc as a counterweight to Western institutions whilst grappling with internal divisions over key geopolitical flashpoints.
Putin congratulates Belarusian President Lukashenko on Independence Day
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko on Belarus’s Independence Day on July 3, highlighting their long-standing cultural ties and emphasising their common fight against the Nazis in WWII.
Poland eyes border checks with Lithuania amid migrant pressure, but Vilnius left in the dark
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on June 30 that his government is considering reintroducing border controls with Lithuania in response to increased concerns about irregular migration.