Yauheni Preiherman
Dr. Yauheni Preiherman is a foreign policy and security analyst based in Belarus. He is the founder and director of the Minsk Dialogue Council on International Relations. He is also a co-chair of the Younger Generation Leaders Network on Euro-Atlantic Security (YGLN) and an advisory board member at the International Institute for Peace (Austria).
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Articles by Yauheni Preiherman
Belarus’s Strategy to Avoid War
Executive Summary: Belarus is maneuvering to avoid being dragged directly into the hostilities in Ukraine, which has become Minsk’s main strategy since allowing Russian forces to launch the expanded invasion
Belarus Prepares for War but Hopes to Avoid It
Executive Summary: Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka approved a bill that would suspend Belarus’s participation in the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), removing numerical ceilings on armed forces
Belarus’s Diplomatic Activities Reflect a Non-Ideological Foreign Policy
Executive Summary: Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Aleinik’s recent visits to India and Mongolia highlight Minsk’s growing ambitions to court alternative economic partners to Russia and the West. These efforts reflect
Logistical Semi-Blockade Undermines Strategic Foundations of Belarusian Statehood
Executive Summary: Belarus plays an essential geostrategic role in the logistical transport networks between Asia and Europe through the “Northern Corridor,” which passes through Russia and Belarus. Although Western sanctions
Defense Officials Elaborate on Belarus’s Military Policies
Executive Summary: Minsk is doubling down on military deterrence through asymmetrical means as Belarus finds itself in an increasingly complicated and entangled security situation due to the war in Ukraine.
Belarus and Uzbekistan Proclaim a New Chapter in Relations
Executive Summary: Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka visited Uzbekistan to strengthen bilateral relations between the two post-Soviet states. Economic relations between Uzbekistan and Belarus are becoming stronger. Bilateral trade has increased
Belarus Updates Key Strategic Doctrines
Executive Summary: Belarus is updating its National Security Concept and military doctrine amid increasing tensions in Eastern Europe brought on by Russia’s war against Ukraine Drafts of both documents emphasize
Tensions Rise Between Minsk and Warsaw on the Eve of Polish Elections
On September 28, the Belarusian Ministry of Defense claimed that a Polish helicopter had violated Belarus’s airspace (Belta, September 28). According to the statement, the helicopter first crossed 1.5 kilometers
What Does Lukashenka’s Role as Mediator in Russian Crisis Imply?
As the entire world watched in disbelief during the rapidly unfolding mutiny in Russia organized by Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner Group on June 23 and 24, hardly anyone could
Belarus and Russia Advance Economic Integration (Part Two)
For two decades after the establishment of their Union State in 1999, Belarus and Russia benefited from the most integrated relationship across the post-Soviet space. Yet, many elements of further
Belarus and Russia Advance Economic Integration (Part One)
Russia’s war against Ukraine has understandably overshadowed numerous other developments across Eastern Europe that would normally attract significant international attention. One of these is the lingering theme of bilateral integration
Lukashenka Explains the Russian Tactical Nukes
On March 31, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka delivered his annual address to the Belarusian people and parliament (President.gov.by, March 31). A week earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced that
Belarus and Iran: Minsk Goes Where Doors Are Open
On March 12 and 13, just ten days after his state visit to China (see EDM, March 16), Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka paid an official visit to Iran. For similar
Belarusian-Chinese Ties Draw Heightened International Attention
From February 28 to March 2, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka paid a state visit to China. Somewhat unexpectedly, the visit attracted enormous international media and political attention (Belta, March 2).
Missile Incident in Belarus Represents a ‘New Normal’ for Eastern Europe
On December 29, the Belarusian state media reported that an S-300 surface-to-air missile launched by Ukrainian forces had dropped into Belarus, near the village of Horbakha, about 50 kilometers from
Minsk Triggers Joint Deployment of Troops With Russia
On October 31, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka approved the draft agreement with Russia on the establishment and functioning of combat centers for the joint training of Belarusian and Russian servicemen
Belarus at SCO: Searching for Wiggle Room
The latest summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, held on September 15 and 16, made numerous headlines in the international media (see EDM, September 19). Analysts
Belarusian-Russian Cooperation Against the Backdrop of the Ukraine War
In a recent interview, Russian ambassador to Belarus, Boris Gryzlov, noted, “Belarus plays a rather important role in the framework of the special military operation” (Spbdnevnik.ru, September 15). Indeed, during
Minsk Announces Possible Changes to Its Foreign Policy
Foreign policy featured among the central topics of the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly (ABPA), on February 11–12 (see EDM, February 16). This is no surprise, as the ongoing political crisis, which
Belarus and the EU: Where Could Another Rapprochement Lead?
Executive Summary For about two decades, Belarus–European Union political relations remained highly conflictual. Communication between Minsk and Brussels stayed at a low level and rarely extended beyond issues of human
Minsk Signals its Red Line on Russian Ambassador’s Behavior
Recurrent tensions have long been inherent in Belarusian-Russian relations. Yet, the ongoing diplomatic spat, escalating since the summer of 2018, looks increasingly different from past disagreements. Not only are Minsk
Belarus-EU Relations: Uneven Rapprochement
The first three months of 2019 already saw a series of positive developments in the normalization of relations between Belarus and the European Union. Yet, the process remains not only
Belarus Explores Economic Opportunities in Zimbabwe
On January 17, the president of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, paid a state visit to Belarus, as part of his four-country Eurasian tour. Besides Minsk, the Zimbabwean delegation landed in Moscow,
Belarus and Russia Dispute the Fundamentals of Their Relationship
Over the past several months, Belarus has found itself in yet another conflict-in-progress with Russia. As always, it started with a cascade of economic issues, primarily centered on Russia’s so-called
Belarus and Russia Resolve Their Pending Energy Issues, for Now
The presidents of Belarus and Russia, Alyaksandr Lukashenka and Vladimir Putin, held a long bilateral summit in Sochi, on September 21. The countries’ prime ministers and key government members also
Belarus Becomes Increasingly Geopolitically Minded
Many still view Belarus’s foreign and security policies through the prism of several popular but simplistic narratives. One of them classifies Belarus as Russia’s geopolitical backyard and, thus, tends to
Modest Advances in US-Belarus Relations
The United States embassy in Minsk announced, on November 1, the expansion of visa services in Belarus (By.usembassy.gov, November 1). On the same day, the embassy began accepting tourist and
Strategic Advances and Economic Hopes of Belarus-China Relations
Belarus hosted a joint counter-terrorism exercise with China called United Shield 2017, on July 11–18 (Belta, July 18). It took place at a training field bear Barysau and brought together
Belarus and the Central European Initiative: Reading Beyond the Headlines
On June 22, Minsk hosted a large gathering of top diplomats from Central and Eastern Europe, who came to Belarus to participate in the annual foreign ministers’ meeting of the
Illusions and Lack of Reason Revealed by New Protests in Belarus
A series of protests took place in Minsk and several regional cities in Belarus on March 25, which marked the 99th anniversary of the founding of the Belarusian People’s Republic.
What Do the Protests in Belarus Mean?
A series of protests in Minsk and regional cities in recent weeks made headlines both inside Belarus and abroad (see EDM, February 21). The fact that they gathered the largest
Russia Introduces a Border Zone With Belarus
On February 1, Russian and then Belarusian media reported some unexpected news: Moscow decided to set up a border zone between its Smolensk, Bryansk and Pskov regions and Belarus (RIA
Cautious Belarus-Poland Normalization Reflects Changing Regional Patterns
Recent months have seen conspicuously positive developments in Belarusian-Polish relations after years of political tensions. On July 20, Warsaw hosted political consultations between the foreign ministries of the two states,
Belarus-Ukraine Relations Beyond Media Headlines
Belarus-Ukraine relations are often ignored as a crucial factor for regional developments in Europe’s East, as well as for each country’s foreign policy. For example, the recently released study “Ukrainian
Belarus Prepares to Adopt New Military Doctrine
In recent months, military affairs have featured high on the political and media agendas in Belarus. The House of Representatives of the National Assembly (the parliament’s lower chamber) is soon
Belarus, the IMF and Reforms: To Be or Not to Be?
The government of Belarus hopes to initiate a new credit program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in February of this year (BelaPAN, January 11). Representatives of the IMF confirmed
Belarus-West Relations: Ready to Break the ‘Vicious Circle?’
In the last decade or so, Belarus’s relations with the West became popularly characterized as locked in a “vicious circle.” The term was widely used in diplomatic and expert communities
Minsk Breaks Silence on Russian Airbase Issue
As the presidential campaign in Belarus nears its end, the initially marginal issue of a prospective Russian airbase on Belarusian territory has grown ever louder (see EDM, September 23). On