THE DEVELOPMENT OF BELARUS AS RUSSIA'S SPHERE OF INFLUENCE

FARIS ABDUL AZIZ, Dr. Siti Muti'ah Setyawati, M.A.

2022 | Skripsi | S1 ILMU HUBUNGAN INTERNASIONAL

The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 brought very significant implications to the world political scene, especially in the European region. After the disbandment of the Union, the region was left in a vacuum of power waiting to be filled. NATO and the EU soon filled this vacuum by offering memberships and aid to states within the post-soviet space. Belarus is one of the states that reside within this space. However, it refuses the aid offered by western institutions. The refusal of aid from the EU is derived from the fact that Belarus is still riddled with the issues it inherited from the late Union. Accordingly, its willingness to maintain its authoritarian government translates to its inability to receive aid from the EU. Thus, it faced the East to Russia for aid. Russia's willingness to assist Belarus has made the former reliant on the former. Its continuous dependency on Russia, later on, would incorporate Belarus further into Russia's camp and put itself under Moscow's influence. Although Belarus noticed this, the nation does not have any alternatives that tolerate its authoritarian government while giving aid other than Russia. Anchored with Belarus' position, this undergraduate thesis analyzes how Belarus developed as Russia's sphere of influence.

The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 brought very significant implications to the world political scene, especially in the European region. After the disbandment of the Union, the region was left in a vacuum of power waiting to be filled. NATO and the EU soon filled this vacuum by offering memberships and aid to states within the post-soviet space. Belarus is one of the states that reside within this space. However, it refuses the aid offered by western institutions. The refusal of aid from the EU is derived from the fact that Belarus is still riddled with the issues it inherited from the late Union. Accordingly, its willingness to maintain its authoritarian government translates to its inability to receive aid from the EU. Thus, it faced the East to Russia for aid. Russia's willingness to assist Belarus has made the former reliant on the former. Its continuous dependency on Russia, later on, would incorporate Belarus further into Russia's camp and put itself under Moscow's influence. Although Belarus noticed this, the nation does not have any alternatives that tolerate its authoritarian government while giving aid other than Russia. Anchored with Belarus' position, this undergraduate thesis analyzes how Belarus developed as Russia's sphere of influence.

Kata Kunci : Belarus, EU, NATO, Russia, Sphere of Influence