Ashley Webster of FOX Business reports from Poland on the protest against trade with Russia.
Ukraine’s Density Ministry warned this week that there were signs the Belarusian military was preparing for a “direct invasion” of Ukraine as the conflict neared its fifth week.
Belarus, just north of Ukraine, has been sanctioned for its involvement in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia deployed thousands of its troops for military exercises in Belarus weeks before the February 24 invasion.
People walk along a street in Minsk, Belarus, on December 20, 2021. (REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov)
As the world watches “Belarus” for its next moves, here are some things you should know about Belarus and its economy.
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Belarus, ruled for nearly 30 years by authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, has been dubbed “Europe’s last dictatorship” amid allegations that he engaged in public corruption.
The country gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. But unlike other former Soviet countries that are gravitating toward the West, Belarus has maintained ties with Moscow, some of whom see it as a puppet regime.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko pose for a photo during their meeting in Moscow, Russia, Friday March 11, 2022. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via `)
Since independence, Belarus has followed a gradual transition path with limited structural reforms and modest private sector expansion.
A 2022 Index of Economic Freedom by the Heritage Foundation ranked Belarus 45th in a list of 45 countries in the European region.
The main industrial sectors of Belarus include energy, agriculture, forestry, construction and the service sector, which accounted for almost half of the country’s GDP in 2019.
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Certainly, the country’s trade in energy commodities has contributed to GDP growth and poverty reduction. According to the World Bank, between 2003 and 2013 poverty fell and household incomes rose among the bottom 40%. Despite these modest improvements, however, median income remains lower than its regional peers.
Belarus’ population has been declining since the collapse of the Soviet Union. In the early 1990s, the country peaked at more than 10.2 million people.
Today, the country has a population of fewer than 10 million people, with a GDP of $60 billion — roughly the size of a small U.S. state like South Dakota or Rhode Island. Its GDP has since fallen from a peak of nearly $80 billion in 2014.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko chairs a meeting with military officials in Minsk, Belarus, February 24, 2022. (Nikolay Petrov/BelTA/Handout via REUTERS)
Life expectancy has improved significantly over the past 20 years. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, it began to decline, falling from 71 in 1989 to 68 in 2002. Today, average life expectancy is around 74 years.
The economy’s strong exports in 2021 helped fuel a cyclical upturn, but the country’s economy is likely to take a hit in 2022 amid the military’s cooperation with Russia in invading Ukraine.
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In 2020, the country was hit by widespread protests over what many considered rigged elections. The protests were met with brutal crackdowns and accusations by Lukashenko that the West orchestrated the dissent.
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