Alexander Lukashenko

Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko , also known as Putin's puppet boy, is the president of Belarus, and the only president of Belarus since the office's creation. He was elected in 1994, 3 years after the fall of the Soviet Union. Despite initially presenting himself as a nationalist reformer during his first election, Lukashenko has kept Belarus locked in its Soviet past by retaining Soviet-era symbolism and economics and increasingly subordinating his nation to the interests of Russia's leader Vladimir Putin. How Belarus Became Putin’s Lackey. The New Republic. 
Prior to Russia's slide into absolute tyranny, Western media frequently labeled Lukashenko "Europe's last dictator.""Why Belarus is called Europe’s last dictatorship", Economist, 2021 May 25 This was for good reason, as Lukashenko ruled his nation as a personal fiefdom. He frequently has his political rivals imprisoned and harassed, and his government has firm control over the economy and the media.Europe’s last dictator: The rise and (possible) fall of Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Atlantic Council. His rule is upheld in part by the efforts of his secret police force, the KGB. No, really.Belarusian leader Lukashenko replaces heads of KGB and security council: Belta. Reuters. (We weren't kidding about his keeping Belarus locked in the past).
Lukashenko endured a significant popular backlash against his rule in 2020 after he had opposition figure Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's husband jailed for blogging.Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko under fire. BBC News. Belarusian police loyal to his regime met protestors with brutal violence"Belarus: Police unleash appalling violence on peaceful protesters, Amnesty International, 2020 August 10 which resulted in sanctions from the EU, UK, and US. The decisive factor in ensuring Lukashenko weathered the uprising was the assistance of Vladimir Putin, a noted expert on brutalizing protestors. By providing funding and heavy Russian police presence across Belarus, Putin kept Lukashenko in power and made clear his position as Russia's proxy. 
After propping up 'Lil Luka in 2020, Putin quickly called in the favor owed by using Belarus to station troops and launch its ill-advised 2022 invasion of Ukraine. This very possibly occurred without Lukashenko's foreknowledge, and Belarus' involvement in the war pits Lukashenko's country against its second-largest trading partner.While Ukraine is resisting Putin, Belarus is becoming his puppet. Al Jazeera. As the war went on, it became increasingly obvious that Lukashenko was losing his ability to make decisions about his own country's foreign policy, ceding his nation's future to the whims of the Kremlin. What a pathetic fate for a man who once presented himself as a nationalist strongman.
Lukashenko identifies as an Christian Orthodox atheist (a isn't necessarily an oxymoron).Metropolitan Pavel: Lukashenka is a normal Orthodox person. Euroradio.
==Early political career==
Lukashenko was born on a farm and worked as farmer (an origin that he plays up heavily in his political speeches, as well as photo-ops of him harvesting potatoes in his underwear).Lukashenka Collects 70 Sacks Of Potatoes, Wears Hat (August 17, 2015 14:40 GMT) Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. He served in the Soviet border troops as an instructor from 1975 to 1977, and in the Soviet army from 1980 to 1982.
After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Belarus gained independence from Russia and became a separate nation. In 1994, Belarus held its first presidential elections and Lukashenko (who was relatively unknown at the time) ran in the elections and he later won, becoming the first (and only) president of Belarus.https://www.rferl.org/amp/elections-in-belarus-how-lukashenka-won-and-won-and-won-and-won-and-won-/30767860.html
==Authoritarianism==
===Antisemitism===
Lukashenko has made various bigoted statements on Jews, such as saying that "the world grovels to the Jews"https://www.israelhayom.com/2021/07/06/world-grovels-to-jews-says-belarusian-leader-lukashenko/, and has cracked down heaily on Belarus's Jewish community, stating that he wants "all Jews in Belarus to be under control".https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/belarusian-president-spouts-anti-semitism
===Suppressing dissent===
Lukashenko heavily opposes and suppresses dissent, such as arresting an activist who did a teddy bear protest, and arresting counter protestors who did the same. https://www.reuters.com/article/belarus-protest-toys/belarussian-sentenced-over-teddy-bear-protest-idINDEE81L0EI20120222 Among other incidents, Lukashenko is theorized to be responsible for ordering the death of a Belarusian activist who fled to Ukraine and was later found hung from a tree in Kyiv after he went out for a jog. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/missing-belarusian-activist-found-dead-kyiv-ukrainian-police-say-2021-08-03/
===Praising dictators===
Lukashenko has praised Hitler, saying "not everything connected to Adolf Hitler in Germany was bad"https://jamestown.org/program/washington-condemns-lukashenkos-praise-of-hitler/, and "Germany reached its highest point under Hitler's leadership".https://www.upi.com/Archives/1995/11/27/Belarus-leader-defends-Hitler-praise/9348817448400/ Lukashenko has also praised Stalin, saying that Stalin and Lenin were demonized as "maneaters by the west", and that he is "not against Stalin and Lenin".https://www.rferl.org/a/lukashenka-belarus-russia-stalin-lenin/24742548.html
Being a communist dictator who later became a fascist dictator as well, Lukashenko has had positive relations with Vladimir Putin. From supporting Putin's invasion of Ukraine to promising to arm Russia in the event that the West ever attacks Russia.https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/nuclear-weapons-ukraine-belarus-lukashenko-russia-putin-rcna86640
===Rigged Election===
Lukashenko’s most pathetic feat was him rigging the 2020 Belarusian election, winning in a fake election against Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who is widely considered to be the real winner of the election. Ironically,‌ Tsikhanouskaya only ran in the election after her husband (another pro democracy activist) was imprisoned by Lukashenko. She is currently leading the pro democracy movement outside of the country, and is proving popular with voters (for good reason).https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/sep/17/election-belarus-russia-lukashenko-vladimir-putin-sviatlana-tsikhanouskaya
==References==
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