Arial Photo Europe

This rare cloud-free scene of Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic was taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on September 30, 2000. Other countries in the image are Lithuania and the Kaliningrad province of Russia. The Carpathian Mountains arc through Slovakia, appearing darker than the rest of the landscape because they protrude above the haze that covers much of the region. To the northeast is the Baltic Sea, which separates these countires from Scandinavia. NASA Identifier: modis_poland

Russia-Belarus Cooperation

Published April 14, 2026
By RSI EUCOM

TOPIC SPONSOR: Russia Strategic Initiative (EUCOM)

What are the opportunities and challenges surrounding Russia-Belarus cooperation?

Guida, Maj. Christopher A., "Surprise! Strategies for Successful Military Advantages and Family Festivities," AF Fellows paper, 2024, 13 pgs.
- This paper addresses the strategic opportunity Russia has in using Belarus as a proxy territory from which to initiate conflicts and stretch adversary defenses, as it did during the invasion of Ukraine. It also identifies a challenge to this cooperation in the form of civilian opposition, noting that hundreds of Belarusians have actively joined Ukraine's military efforts to fight against Russian imperialism rather than support their own government's state-level cooperation with Moscow
Hickey, Col. Mark, "Inflection Point: A Study of Small Uncrewed Aerial Systems Usage in the Russia-Ukraine War," AWC, Kenney Air Power Seminar paper, 2024, 24 pgs.
- This paper highlights the tactical military opportunities of the alliance, noting that Belarus allows Russia to use its installations, such as Machulishchy Air Base, to stage aircraft, control patrols, and coordinate long-range missile strikes into northern Ukraine. A significant challenge surrounding this military cooperation is violent domestic pushback from non-military Belarusian partisans. These partisans successfully deployed low-cost, small uncrewed aerial systems (sUAS) to attack and damage a highly valuable Russian A-50 Mainstay aircraft parked in Belarus, demonstrating active internal resistance to the Russian military presence.
Isom, Joshua M., "2022 Russian-Ukrainian War: Analysis Using Three Deterrence Models," SAASS thesis, 2025, 77 pgs.
- This paper explains that Belarus provides Russia with a crucial regional ally that acts as a geographic barrier against NATO forces in Poland while sharing a strategic border with Ukraine. This cooperation presented Russia with the opportunity to conduct massive joint military exercises and secure regional backing ahead of its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. However, a major challenge to the cooperative relationship is Russia's underlying imperialist ambition; a leaked 2021 Russian strategy document outlined Kremlin goals to eventually annex Belarus in a similar manner to Ukraine.
Turek, Maj. Frank Z., "Nationalism and the Church: A Comparison of the Russian Orthodox Church (2014-Present) and the German Evangelical Church (1933-1945)", ACSC/Russia RTF paper, 2024, 21 pgs.
- This paper discusses cooperation and integration opportunities through the lens of religion and nationalism. It explains that the Russian Orthodox Church championsthe concept of "Holy Rus," which presents an opportunity to spiritually and culturally bind Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine together under a single structure. This religious cooperation supports the Kremlin’s broader nationalist "Russian World" ideology and provides justification for its geopolitical efforts to unify the region.