What is the difference between russia and belarus

These stereotypes are cultivated by Russophile propagandists whose end goal is not simply to win an ideological battle among historians, but to support a Russian geopolitical agenda with material, legal and security implications. In the case of Belarus, the myth that Belarusians are indiscernible from Russians is even more deeply entrenched in some circles. This, in turn, fuels the opinion that Belarus already is, or at least is in the process of being, fully subjugated by Russia.

Also, as mentioned in footnote , the myth tends to survive in a majority of small or developing countries that are further away from the Eurasian continent — in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands, for example.

This matters as each of these countries has a seat at the UN General Assembly, where Russia has an opportunity to secure their votes on resolutions in line with its own geopolitical interests. According to one Ukrainian diplomat, delegations from these countries appear nostalgic for the Soviet era, when centralization implied that they only needed to talk with Moscow. Western policymakers and commentators should reject the concept of an all-Russian nation, and the misapprehensions that accompany it.

Analysts and journalists should spare no effort in debunking these myths, and be more proactive in highlighting the socio-historical and linguistic uniqueness of the Ukrainian and Bela rusian nations. Marin, A. Shekhovtsov, A. Tango Noir , Abing don: Routledge. Reply of H. Breadcrumb Home Myths and misconceptions in the debate on Russia. Myths and misconceptions in the debate on Russia How they affect Western policy, and what can be done. Explainer videos. To the south is neighbor Ukraine, and to the east is Russia.

Read more: In Belarus, arrested protesters talk of brutality. This past weekend after talks with the Kremlin, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko referred to the alliance when he said Russia would stand by its Belarusian ally within the framework of the treaty. Lukashenko made the comment after accusing NATO of building up troops on Belarus' western border, a claim the alliance has rejected.

In response, Lukashenko ordered Belarusian military exercises near the borders of Lithuania and Poland — an attempt to create an external threat to encourage a Russian military intervention, said Gressel. As long as Belarus doesn't cross any red lines — as long as it sticks to the treaties on state union, economic and military cooperation, Russia will not intervene," he said.

According to Gressel and other experts, Russia isn't pinning its hopes on the weakened autocrat, but on the fact that Belarus is and remains a pro-Russia country. Read more: Privacy apps help resist Belarus internet shutdown.

That doesn't appear to be the aim of this protest movement. She said it was "too soon" for sanctions, adding that they would only burden talks between the government and the opposition.

For days, diplomats in Brussels have been warning against giving Russia any excuse to claim the EU is interfering in Belarusian affairs. Speaking by telephone on Tuesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly agreed that there should be "no external interference. Gressel told DW that the situation in Belarus isn't the same as in Ukraine, where Putin annexed the Crimean Peninsula in after the country took a sudden pro-Western stance, igniting the ongoing conflict along its eastern border.

He believes Lukashenko's fluctuating course is much more problematic. Just days before the election on August 9, the president accused 32 Russians of being mercenaries out to destabilize his country and had them arrested. Lukashenko has never assented to Russia's wish for a major Russian military base in Belarus — he has always wanted his independence.

He even forged tentative ties with NATO, taking part in various programs and even pondering joint military exercises. The EU reciprocated his overtures in by lifting sanctions against senior government leaders. In the event of a new election, some commentators suspect the Kremlin would count on voters to back a modern, pro-Russian successor to Lukashenko. Viktor Babariko, jailed in May on money-laundering and tax-evasion charges that he called politically motivated, would fit that description.

Babariko, who heads a Belarusian subsidiary of Russia's Gazprom, has advocated independence from the West and from Russia. Read more: DW's Belarus correspondent released after day arrest. Ukraine isn't a good comparison — but what about Armenia, where the pro-Russia head of government was replaced by a presumably more Western-oriented politician in the Velvet Revolution?

Back then, the Kremlin watched and waited. Earlier this month, Belarus began exporting refined petroleum products through Russian ports in Ust-Luga and St. The two countries have recently signed a three-year agreement to ship more than 9. The Belarusian economy is effectively propped up by importing heavily subsidized Russian oil and exporting refined petroleum products along with the export of potash fertilizers.

In an effort to maintain a degree of control over his country's economy, Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka had been resisting Russian demands for years that he export these products via Russia.

Instead, he has routed them through ports in Latvia and Lithuania. The Eurasia Center regularly convenes with regional leaders and key global figures to galvanize international support for a free, prosperous, and peaceful future in Eurasia.

Explore our events, debates, and flagship discussions below. Concomitant with the Kremlin's moves to significantly expand its economic footprint is a clear effort to enlarge and expand its military presence in Belarus. The two countries are currently wrapping up back-to-back exercises that lasted most of the past month.

They have scheduled a record number of exercises this year, culminating with the massive Zapad, which is set to take place in September. Significantly, Lukashenka now appears ready to drop his long-standing objection to a new Russian airbase on Belarusian territory. We are actually seeing a real qualitative difference in terms of the presence of Russian military forces in Belarus," Kofman said. The final and essential moving part in the Kremlin's strategy is assuring its dominance over Belarusian politics after the current crisis ends.

Vladimir Putin's regime is now actively putting the pieces in place to assure Moscow controls the Belarusian legislature through pro-Kremlin parties.

Protestations by senior Russian officials that there are no plans to unify Russia and Belarus are a mirage and a deliberate diversion. An official merger or annexation is not necessary.