The article analyzes some problems affecting the prospects of Russian-Belarusian relations in the context of the Ukrainian crisis. The current international situation also affects the range of possibilities of transformation of the political regime in Belarus. The article analyzes some positions of Western scholars, providing differing views on the nature of the conflict between Russia and the West, as well as the proposed approaches to the development of relations between the West and Belarus. The analysis allows to define the Russian interests in the development of relations with Belarus more clearly. Currently, among the factors that negatively affect the prospects of bilateral relations the authors point out the economic downturn in Russia, deep structural crisis of the Belarusian economy, the objective shortcomings of existing integration institutions. A significant negative factor is the fact that the Ukrainian crisis contributes to the politicization of issues of bilateral cooperation, which introduces complexity in the formation of stable partnerships.
Russian-Belarusian relations, Ukrainian crisis, electoral authoritarianism, Eurasian integration
1. Borishpolets K., Chernyavskiy S. Rossiysko-belorusskie otnosheniya: ugrozy real´nye i mnimye. Mirovaya ekonomika i mezhdunarodnye otnosheniya. - 2012. - №11. - S. 57 - 63.
2. Mel´yantsov D. Kak "pikantnoe polozhenie" Belarusi na mirovoy arene vliyaet na ekonomiku i investklimat v strane. Belarusian Institute For Strategic Studies. - 16.09.2015. - URL: http://belinstitute.eu/ru/node/2682? lfnf j,hfotybz 15/10/2016 (data obrashcheniya 10.10.2015)
3. Moshes A. Belarus´ i ee novoe podchinenie Rossii. Bezogovorochnaya kapitulyatsiya ili zhestkiy torg?. PONARS Evraziya. Analiticheskaya zapiska. - № 329, avgust 2014. - URL: http://www.ponarseurasia.org/sites/default/files/policy-memos-pdf/Pepm_329_rus_Moshes_August2014.pdf (data obrashcheniya 10.10.2015)
4. Samorukov M. Pochemu Moskva proshchaet Lukashenko novuyu druzhbu s Zapadom. Moskovskiy tsentr Karnegi. Kommentarii/- URL: http://carnegie.ru/2015/10/11/ru-61581/iiyr (data obrashcheniya 17.10.2015)
5. Stanovaya T. Pyaterka Lukashenko: kak Moskve povtorit´ uspekh Minska v otmene sanktsiy. Moskovskiy tsentr Karnegi. Kommentarii. - 12.10.2015. - URL: http://carnegie.ru/2015/10/15/ru-61620/ij4j (data obrashcheniya 17.10.2015)
6. Electoral Authoritarianism: The Dynamics of Unfree Competition / A. Schedler (ed.). - Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2006. - 267 p.
7. Korosteleva, Elena. EU-Russia relations in the context of the eastern neighbourhood. - Institute of Public Affairs Policy Brief Bertlesmann Stitfung. - May 2015. - URL: http://www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de/en/publications/publication/did/eu-russia-relations-in-the-context-of-the-eastern-neighbourhood/ (data obrashcheniya 10.10.2015)
8. Korosteleva, Elena. (2012) Questioning democracy promotion: Belarus’ response to the ‘colour revolutions’// Democratization. - Vol. 19, No. 1, February. - 37-59 p.
9. Kryvoi, Yaraslau, Wilson, Andrew. From Sanctions To Summits: Belarus After The Ukraine Crisis. European Council on Foreign Relations official website. - 5.05.2015. - URL: http://www.ecfr.eu/page/-/ECFR_132_Belarus_(May_5_-_version_2).pdf (data obrashcheniya 10.10.2015)
10. Levitsky S., Way L. (2010) Competitive authoritarianism: hybrid regimes after the Cold War. - New York, Cambridge University Press. - 536 p.
11. Wilson Andrew.(2005)Virtual Politics: Faking Democracy in the Post-Soviet World. - New Haven, CT, and London, UK: Yale University Press. - 332 p.
12. Wilson, Andrew. (2011) Belarus: the last European dictatorship. - Yale University Press. - 256 p.
