The European Union and Belarus: Sanctions and partnership?

The present article discusses the evolution of the European Union (EU) sanctions imposed in response to authoritarianism in Belarus in an attempt to ascertain the impact of these measures on the limited rapprochement that took place in the period 2008–2010. It is argued that despite the mostly non-economic character of the measures levied by the EU, the Belarusian steps towards compliance were motivated by economic rationales. The EU's responsiveness to these measures reveals its nature as an accommodating negotiator of its own sanctions regimes.