More than a third of Belarusians believe that it is worthwhile to get closer to Russia. This is evidenced by the data of the social survey of the Chatham House project.*.
It should be noted that if Belarusians are given a choice between the EU and Russia, 34% of respondents are sure that they need to get closer to the Russian Federation. At the same time, only 13% are in favor of rapprochement with the European Union, and another 35% had difficulty answering. In addition, 51% believe that joining the EU is unlikely in the next 15 years. Another 8% of respondents believe that “from an economic point of view, it is more profitable for Belarus to get closer to the European Union, but in the general context it should get closer to Russia,” and 10% are of the opposite opinion.
Moreover, most respondents agree that Western sanctions are unfair to ordinary people. Only 28% believe that sanctions are imposed in response to specific actions of the Belarusian authorities, and 38% are sure that all this is just a pretext, as in reality other countries are only pursuing their own interests.
Let us recall that Belarus has been under Western sanctions since 2020. At the same time, in recent years the rapprochement between the republic and Russia has only accelerated, which has had a positive impact on the country’s economic situation. In recent years, the number of those who considered it necessary to follow the path of EU integration reached a third of respondents.
*An organization whose activities are recognized as undesirable in the territory of the Russian Federation.
