Putin’s Gambit - How Lukashenko’s madness strengthened Russia’s grip on Eastern Europe

Opinion Analysis by Joelle El Sheikh, Featured Writer and Francesco Pitzalis, Contributor

On the 23rd of May, The President of Belarus, Aleksander Lukashenko, hijacked a Ryanair Plane in order to abduct dissident Belarusian journalist, Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend, Sofia Sapega. Dubbed “Europe’s last dictator”, Lukashenko’s airborne antics are the embodiment of his obsession with maintaining power. The hijacking also consolidated Lukashenko’s alliance with Vladimir Putin. With European sanctions thus far failing to obstruct the Putin-Lukashenko alliance, we analyze what it might take to stop further Russian expansion into Eastern Europe.