Europe powerless against Lukashenko

A court in Minsk on Saturday condemned the former Belarusian presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov to five years in prison. The sentence testifies to Europe's powerlessness against President Alexander Lukashenko, the daily Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: "Although it was perhaps not enough, the West did attempt to ease Lukashenko's stranglehold on his people. Nevertheless, the fact that this did not work and Minsk reacted lethargically to economic incentives is more the fault of Moscow than the West. Russia and Belarus long feuded with each other, until President Dmitry Medvedev sided with Minsk a few days before the elections. Of course his motives were anything but unselfish, nevertheless he reassured Lukashenko that Moscow continues to be closer to its geographic neighbour than to Brussels. For the European Union it remains clear that the West can exert precious little influence on the regime in Belarus, and Russia doesn't care to. A soothing thought - for Lukashenko that is."

» more information (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Weltanschauung, » Justice, » Russia, » Europe, » Belarus
All available articles from » Frank Nienhuysen

» To the complete press review of Monday, May 16, 2011