The Growing Importance of Belarus on NATO’s Eastern Flank

The widely misunderstood country of Belarus, squeezed both literally and geopolitically between Russia and the West, was typically overlooked by post–Cold War military planners—until Russia's first invasion of Ukraine in 2014. Now, with Russia's latest offensive in Ukraine, Belarus's geostrategic importance to NATO and the surrounding region is more in the spotlight than ever.

Focusing on the growing importance of Belarus in the context of the NATO alliance, the contributors to this timely collection capture the geopolitical complexities that define the country today and explore critical strategic issues.