Join the Wilson Center's Kennan Institute for a talk on mass protests in Belarus and reactions to them from Europe and North America. 

Belarus held its general election on August 9, ostensibly extending Alexander Lukashenko’s 26-year presidency for another five years. However, since the election, mass protests have taken place daily against Lukashenko and what many Belarusians have deemed election fraud. The European Union, Canada, the UK and the United States have called the elections illegitimate. The EU, Canada and the UK have taken a further step and imposed sanctions on the country. Meanwhile, Russia has supported the long-time president.

What effect might international sanctions have? How should democratic countries address the charges of election fraud in Belarus? How should they manage relations with Russia in this context? The Wilson Center’s Canada Institute, Global Europe Program, and Kennan Institute will host this virtual panel with leading authorities on Friday, October 23, 9:00-10:00am ET to discuss international responses to the crisis in Belarus.

The event will be webcast live from the event page.

Speakers:

Radoslaw Sikorski, member, European Parliament; chair of the Delegation for Relations with the United States

Kenneth S. Yalowitz, global fellow, Kennan Institute; global fellow, Polar Institute, former U.S. Ambassador to Belarus and Georgia

Joel Sokolsky, professor of political science, Royal Military College of Canada

Christopher Sands, director, Canada Institute

Daniel S. Hamilton (moderator), director, Global Europe Program, Wilson Center