Belarus is a landlocked Eastern European country of 9.1 million people, with its capital in Minsk, bordering Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia. Historically, it spent five centuries under the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth before becoming part of the Russian Empire and, in 1922, the Byelorussian SSR—a founding republic of the Soviet Union. The country endured immense devastation during World War II, losing a quarter of its population, and later became a founding member of the United Nations in 1945.
Gaining full independence on August 25, 1991, Belarus elected Alexander Lukashenko as its first and only president in 1994, who established a highly centralized authoritarian government. Known for low civil liberties and being the only European country to still use capital punishment, Belarus maintains a close Union State with Russia. Its relationship with the Council of Europe was suspended in 2022 due to its facilitation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine from its territory.