The European Union has imposed sanctions on Belarus in retaliation to the forced landing of a Ryanair passenger plane in Minsk and the arrest of a dissident journalist. Communists in the country have termed it an instance of hybrid war

Five-time president Alexander Lukashenko is likely to win due to the lack of strong opposition candidates but the possibility of major protests remains. The country is a key part of both Russian and western strategies in the region

Paid websites and social media handles have been found to be spreading pro-EU and anti-Russian propaganda under the garb of ‘democratizing’ Belarus.