Russia Monitor Monthly 2/23
Content
Russian Lifeline Does Little For Belarus
Belarus plunged into political and economic turmoil. Thus the Kremlin offered a lifeline to Alexander Lukashenko, with an emergency $1.5 billion loan to help the country avoid a crash in living standards. But this lifeline is not an answer to Minsk’s headache since the new loan will largely go towards refinancing debt already owed to Russia.
WI Daily News – President of Poland arrives in Italy
Daily dose of the most important news regarding Polish international cooperation, affairs & activity abroad.
More Russian Troops In Belarus, De Facto Permanently
All signs are that security-related issues, including those pertaining to the country’s military, are poised to witness ever-tightening cooperation between Russia and Belarus, prompting a decay in the latter’s sovereignty.
Day 45 – Sanctions for Lukashenko will be delayed
The Viasna Human Rights Center announced that since the beginning of the presidential campaign in Belarus over 250 criminal cases have been initiated against campaign participants and staff in addition to people taking part in post-election protests.
Day 44 – More Russian troops in Belarus, EU is debating sanctions
The effects of Lukashenko’s conversation with Putin in Sochi and shortly after Sergey Shoygu’s visit to Minsk are already becoming visible. On Monday, the Belarusian Ministry of Defense informed that about 1,000 Russian soldiers will take part in the second stage of the Slavic Brotherhood maneuvers (September 22-25).
The Times of Challenge – Cohesion of Berlin process and EU Integration of the Western Balkans
We are delighted to announce that the Warsaw Institute is a partner of the upcoming conference organised cooperatively by the Visegrad Fund and European Movement Montenegro. The event, entitled “The Times of Challenge – Cohesion of Berlin process and EU Integration of the Western Balkans” will be held online on 25th and 26th September.
WI Daily News – Polish aircraft to take part in exercises in Baltic airspace
Daily dose of the most important news regarding Polish international cooperation, affairs & activity abroad.
China at the 27th ASEAN Regional Forum
On September 12, 2020, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) – Luo Zhaohui, participated online in the 27th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
Day 43 – The March of Justice in Minsk, protests all over Belarus
During Sunday’s protests in Belarus more than 200 people were detained overall. Most of them (at least 152) in Minsk, where another protest against rigged election took place – the March of Justice.
WI Daily News – Presidents of Poland, Lithuania and Romania call on EU to enlarge aid package for Belarus
Daily dose of the most important news regarding Polish international cooperation, affairs & activity abroad.
Day 41 & 42 – Lukashenko closes borders, except for one | Another women’s march, falling attendance
On September 18, it turned out that the borders of Belarus with Poland and Lithuania had not been closed, as announced the day before by Lukashenko.
The Human Rights Centre “Viasna” reported on Saturday evening that at least 342 people were detained during the women’s protest in Minsk.
EU and NATO in the midst of challenges – the role of strategy in a disrupted international environment
Unpredictable developments in Belarus, coronavirus outbreak and changing regional realities – with all the disturbances around, it seems we have definitely entered an Extremistan, this country full of improbabilities imagined by Nassim Taleb.
WI Daily News – Lublin Triangle videoconference
Daily dose of the most important news regarding Polish international cooperation, affairs & activity abroad.
Chinese Air Force in the report of the US Department of Defense
The DoD report indicates that China has the largest air force in the Indo-Pacific region. Of the total number of 2,500 aircraft, 2,000 are combat aircraft, 1,500 are fighter jets, of which approximately 800 are in the fourth generation and above (J-20, J-16, J-10, J-11, Su-30 and Su-35).
Day 40 – Lukashenko closes borders, except for one
On Thursday, September 17, Aleksander Lukashenko declared that he is closing the borders with Lithuania and Poland. In the case of Ukraine, only enhanced control measures are to be applied.
Position Paper of the People’s Republic of China on the 75th Anniversary of the UN
On Thursday, September 10, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a Position Paper of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on the occasion of the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations (UN), which presented China’s ideas and proposals on various geopolitical issues.
WI Daily News – Polish soldiers in Turkey
Daily dose of the most important news regarding Polish international cooperation, affairs & activity abroad.
Day 39 – Shoygu in Minsk, Lukashenko on the Western Conspiracy
On Wednesday, after the meeting with the Minister of Defense of Russia – Sergey Shoygu, Lukashenko announced that he approached Russia regarding new types of armaments. This was supposed to take place in a conversation with Putin in Sochi. However, the Kremlin denied Lukashenko’s words the same day.
Day 38 – Criticism from the EU, Vatican joins the case
Tuesday, September 15, was marked by further sentences for weekend detainees as well as new detentions of protesters. According to the independent Human Rights Center “Viasna,” at least 270 sentences were handed down in Belarus on that day.
Expert debate: “An Underestimated Threat. How Russia and China influence Central and Eastern Europe?”
On September 14, 2020, the first online roundtable organized by the Warsaw Institute took place – “An Underestimated Threat. How Russia and China influence Central and Eastern Europe?”
Warsaw Institute
