MOSCOW (Aftenposten): Belarus has always balanced between Europe and Russia. Now the road – and the airspace – are closed to the west.
Alexander Lukashenko is a controversial president of Belarus. On May 17, he sent a friendly greeting to King Harald. Photo: Maxim Guchek, AP / Lise Åserud, NTB
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25. May 2021 21:40
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A journalistic assignment in Greece ends with a few days on holiday with your girlfriend. The couple boarded a plane in Athens on their way to Vilnius. Shortly afterwards, the journalist Roman Protasjevich (26) is in headlines all over the world.
He is the victim of a spectacular “state hijacking”. It was probably carried out by order of the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko.
Lukashenko is also the man known only as “Europe’s last dictator”. Belarus is now on everyone’s lips. The words that roll out are negative. Again, sanctions have been adopted.
But how much does the state hijacking cost the country?
Mr Lukashenko has been in power in Belarus for more than a quarter of a century. During this period, he has used the tense relationship between Russia and Europe quite deliberately.
