Who ate all the Minsk pies?

US-Belarus negotiations and the latest prisoner releases, and what it means for European policy.

America considers letting Lukashenka get up off the naughty step. A comment on Belarus-US relations and sanctions.

A belated comment on September's joint Russian-Belarusian military exercise, Zapad-2025.

A US delegation went to Minsk. It gave Lukashenka a photo opportunity, the US something to crow about, and caused a headache for everyone else.

A shortage of potatoes in Belarus is leaving people disgruntled.

A social media influencer interviewed Lukashenka. It was not pretty.

Belarus's dictator hopes next weekend's election will allow him to re-legitimise his grasp on power. Little suggests that will happen.

Anne Applebaum's latest book offers a breezy tour of Dictatorland. And it's a chilling read.

A postscript to my previous post. Plus a comment on a submission to the International Criminal Court about Belarus and Georgia's election.

Interpreting a recent escalation along the Belarus-Ukraine border. Is there anything for Ukraine to worry about?

The arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has prompted accusations of a curb on free speech. To my mind, the debate should be about privacy.

Belarus is the first European state to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation; Lukashenka's 30 years; and Tsikhanouskaya visits the UK.

The United Kingdom goes to the polls this week. Does the result matter at all for Ukrainians and Belarusians?

Georgian protests, Lord Cameron in Ukraine, a scathing US view of the UK army, Belarusian informants... What caught my attention this week.

Why I changed my mind about the relationship between sport and politics, and (reluctantly) support a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes.

A few remarks on last month's terrorist attack in Moscow. The treatment of the four suspects is part of the brutalisation of Russia.

Both Ukraine and Belarus have long-standing population worries, which the crises of recent years have exacerbated.

A few notes on last weekend's elections in Belarus, and some Belarus-related events I've been involved in this past week.

Belarus hosted a CSTO summit in Minsk last week. Fractures between members of the military bloc are hard to paper over however.

A recent decree will make many Belarusians stateless. The opposition is trying to convince others its New Belarus passport is the solution.