Relationship dossier
Belarus
United States
Relationship assessment
Sustained confrontation over political repression, sanctions, and Belarus’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine
Belarus toward United States
-65Belarus restricted the size of the US diplomatic presence in 2008 amid a sanctions dispute, contributing to a major reduction in bilateral diplomatic staffing. Belarus has also maintained close alignment with Russia, including by allowing its territory to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a policy opposed by the United States.
United States toward Belarus
-65The United States has imposed sanctions on Belarusian officials and entities in response to political repression and the conduct of the 2020 election. It has also imposed sanctions related to Belarus’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Overall relationship
-65The relationship has been shaped by repeated US sanctions and Belarusian restrictions on US diplomatic staffing, alongside disputes over political repression and Belarus’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine. These durable sources of confrontation outweigh the limited scope for bilateral cooperation.
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–United States relations have been substantially adversarial, marked by reciprocal diplomatic restrictions and persistent disputes over political repression and sanctions. The United States has imposed sanctions on Belarusian officials and entities, including in response to the 2020 election and Belarus’s role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Belarus has restricted the size of the US diplomatic presence and aligned closely with Russia. These developments have sharply limited cooperation.
Areas of tension
- US sanctions on Belarusian officials and entities
- Political repression and the conduct of the 2020 Belarusian election
- Belarus’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
- Restrictions on diplomatic staffing
Key developments
Belarus restricted the size of the US diplomatic presence amid a dispute involving US sanctions, sharply reducing bilateral diplomatic staffing.
The United States imposed sanctions in response to Belarus’s 2020 election and subsequent repression.
The United States imposed sanctions related to Belarus’s role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of remaining bilateral diplomatic arrangements are unclear.
- The extent of any limited government-to-government cooperation outside the main areas of dispute is unclear.