Relationship dossier
Belarus
Canada
Relationship assessment
Political friction over repression, sanctions and Belarusian support for Russia’s war in Ukraine
Belarus toward Canada
-35Belarus restricted imports from Canada under measures targeting goods from several Western countries. Belarusian support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also placed its foreign policy at odds with Canada’s position.
Canada toward Belarus
-35Canada imposed sanctions on Belarusian officials and entities in response to repression and Belarus’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine, and has supported Belarusian democratic aspirations.
Overall relationship
-35The relationship is marked by Canadian sanctions and Belarusian trade restrictions, alongside fundamental disagreement over political repression and Belarus’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. These disputes outweigh the limited known cooperative elements.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Belarus and Canada have faced substantial political friction over Belarusian repression and the war in Ukraine. Canada has imposed sanctions on Belarusian officials and entities, while Belarus restricted imports from Canada as part of its response to sanctions by Western countries. The relationship also reflects Canada’s opposition to Belarusian support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Areas of tension
- Canadian sanctions on Belarusian officials and entities
- Belarusian restrictions on imports from Canada
- Belarusian support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
- Belarusian political repression and Canada’s support for democratic aspirations
Key developments
Canada imposed sanctions on 11 Belarusian officials in response to repression following the 2020 presidential election.
Belarus introduced restrictions on imports of certain goods from a group of Western countries that included Canada.
Canada announced further sanctions targeting Belarusian officials and entities over Belarus’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of Belarusian import restrictions on Canadian goods are unclear.
- The extent of direct bilateral cooperation outside sanctions and political disagreements is unclear.