Aleksandr G. Lukashenko, the autocratic leader of Belarus, is maneuvering between East and West, highlighting his dual role as a staunch ally of Russia and an opportunistic player seeking better relations with the West amid rising tensions over Ukraine.
Amid anticipation for cease-fire talks over Ukraine, analysts view Lukashenko's pardoning of more than 200 jailed protestors as a strategic gesture to convince Western nations to ease sanctions imposed on his regime.
Despite his pardons, many leaders of the 2020 protests remain incarcerated, indicating the complexity of Lukashenko's political maneuvering, where gestures toward the West coexist with continued repression of dissenting voices.
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