Belarus' Increasing Dependence on Russia Raises Concerns of Vassal State Status

Belarus is increasingly becoming a "vassal state" of Russia, with schools teaching patriotic lessons and factories producing uniforms for soldiers fighting Ukraine. Belarus has allowed Moscow to position tactical nuclear weapons on its soil, which is a crucial step towards Russia's absorption of Belarus, a longtime goal of Putin. The government's opponents are warning their countryfolk of the consequences of a potential nuclear strike from Belarusian territory. The United States and the European Union have slapped Belarus with sanctions after the 2020 protests and again when Lukashenko forced a commercial airliner to land in Minsk, the capital, because it was carrying a dissident blogger.