June 29, 2025

Tightening Trade Ties


Tightening Trade Ties
Belarus's legislative building. The Russian Life files.

On June 27, Russian president Vladimir Putin announced that Russia and Belarus had a record year of trade between the two countries: more than $50 billion. But, rather than cause for celebration, this is yet another indicator of Russian isolation.

According to Putin, 2024 was the highest year on record for trade between Russia and Belarus. He also noted that Russia accounts for a full 60% of Belarus's foreign trade.

The president implied that this was a major positive milestone, but in reality, it speaks to increasing international isolation Russia is experiencing in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Following the initial attack, many companies were quick to leave Russia, and many countries restricted economic cooperation through sanctions and other measures. In response, Russia moved closer to its traditional allies: Belarus and other former Soviet states. Putin and Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko are old friends, tied together by their countries' shared pasts and similar nationalistic outlooks.

In short, there is little surprise that Belarusian-Russian trade has skyrocketed; where else were the goods going to go?

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