Belarus
Background
Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. The country covers 207,600 square kilometres and has a population of about 9.1 million, with Minsk serving as both the capital and largest city. Administratively, it is divided into six regions, and its location places it between the Russian state system and the European Union’s eastern frontier.
In international and regional affairs, Belarus is significant because of its close alignment with Russia and its membership in several Eurasian institutions. It is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Eurasian Economic Union, the OSCE, and the Non-Aligned Movement. In 2000, Belarus and Russia signed a treaty to deepen cooperation and formed the Union State, which remains a key framework for political, economic, and military coordination. The country also maintains a bilateral relationship with the European Union, while not seeking EU membership.
Historically, the territory of present-day Belarus moved through the rule of city-states, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth before being incorporated into the Russian Empire in the late 18th century. After the Russian Revolution, it became the Byelorussian SSR and a founding republic of the Soviet Union in 1922, with present borders largely shaped by the events of 1939 and the post-World War II settlement. Belarus gained independence in 1991, and Alexander Lukashenko has governed since his 1994 election, overseeing a highly centralized system that retains several Soviet-era features. Recent developments have included continued Union State coordination with Russia, and reports in 2025 that the Oresnik missile system entered combat duty in Belarus.
Timeline
Belarus and Russia signed directives on mutual legal protection, cross-border rail links, and the creation of a new Standardisation and Quality Committee within the Union State.
Meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union StateThe meeting marked the 30th anniversary of Russian-Belarusian integration.
Meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State
Documents
Meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State
Putin and Lukashenko held the Supreme State Council of the Union State in Moscow, signing a package of documents including directives on mutual legal protection, cross-border rail links, and a new Standardisation and Quality Committee, marking 30 years of Russian-Belarusian integration.