What Germany and Europe Can Do For Belarus

In their op-ed for Die ZEIT, Jörg Forbrig and Jakob Wöllenstein explain how European values are being defended in Belarus and call for the West to increase its pressure on Alexander Lukashenko. Jörg Forbrig is director for Central and Eastern Europe at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Jakob Wöllenstein heads the Belarus office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

They explain the recent developments in the country in the aftermath of its presidential election, as well as reactions on part of the European Union and Russia. They make six points of how Germany in particular can now react to the crisis in Belarus. Suggestions include a moratorium on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, increasing bilateral pressure on Minsk, showing support for civil society organizations in Belarus, and maintaining international attention on Belarus over the long term.