Until very recently the only real hope of reform came from (surprisingly) Russian pressure. Belarus is heavily dependent on Russia’s subsidized gas and oil supply, if they were to dry up they would be in big trouble. Putin thinks Lukashenko is an idiot; Lukashenko’s gone back on promises to Putin who feels he’s been played off against Europe which he doesn’t like one bit.

But now that Russia could do with a bit more support with the whole Ukraine/Crimea debacle, Belarus may not get the squeeze that Russia had considered dishing out. So it looks like there’s no hope for the people of Belarus for now, the EU won’t touch it and Putin now needs Lukashenko. It’s both depressing and embarrassing that in modern Europe this type of tyranny still thrives, but what can we do? Wage a war? No, that won’t work. Trade sanctions are already in place but I guess more could be done there, but if Russia is going to protect them that won’t help either really.

I’ll leave you with a joke that Belarusians tell about themselves:

The Nazis hang three partisans in the forest – a Russian, Pole and Belarusian. Days later, when they cut down the bodies, the Belarusian is still alive. “How did you survive?” they ask him. “I got used to it”.

☛ Now: Rasputin: The Mystical Siberian Peasant That Ruled Russia