Russia has supported its western neighbor Belarus for decades — long before the European Union and the United States imposed sanctions on Minsk and President Alexander Lukashenko. Earlier this summer, Moscow loaned its ally $500 million (€423 million) — six months prior, it had issued Lukashenko’s regime a similar sum.
Protests in Belarus
Deutsche Welle: How Russian money keep Belarus afloat
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko pose on a boat during trip on the Black Sea on May 29, 2021, as the close allies met for a second day for informal talks amidst the outcry after Minsk diverted a European plane.
