Analysis

Belarus and Russia: Totalitarian or not? Experts debate in closed-door discussion

People walk past the
People walk past the "Solidarity" bas-relief on Niamiha in Minsk, Belarus. February 16, 2023. Photo: Natalia Kolesnikova / AFP / East News

The regimes that exist today in Belarus and Russia are often characterized as totalitarian. The repression occurring in these countries contributes to this perception. But is this truly the case? Belarusian and Russian political scientists debated this topic.