Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus
Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (Belarusian: Alyaksandr Ryhoravich Lukashenka; born 30 August 1954) is a Belarusian politician who has been the first and only president of Belarus since the office was created in 1994. With more than three decades in power he is the longest-serving head of state in Europe, and has been widely described in international media as “Europe’s last dictator”. The European Union, United Kingdom, United States, and Canada no longer recognise him as the legitimate president of Belarus, following the disputed 2020 presidential election.
Early life and Soviet career
Lukashenko was born in the village of Kopys in the Vitebsk Region of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. Before entering politics he served in the Soviet Border Troops and the Soviet Army, and worked as the director of a state farm (sovkhoz). In 1990 he was elected to the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR, where he built a reputation as an anti-corruption populist.
1994 election and consolidation of power
Following the adoption of a new Belarusian constitution, Lukashenko won the country’s first presidential election in July 1994 with around 80% of the vote in the run-off. It was the only Belarusian election that OSCE observers considered broadly free and fair. Referendums in 1995 and 1996 extended presidential powers and sidelined the legislature, and further constitutional changes in 2004 removed term limits.
Authoritarian record
Subsequent elections in 2001, 2006, 2010, 2015, 2020 and January 2025 have all been judged by international observers as neither free nor fair. The 2020 vote, in which Lukashenko claimed 80% against opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, triggered the largest protest wave in Belarus’s post-Soviet history. Riot police responded with mass arrests, beatings, and allegations of torture. In January 2025 he claimed an eighth term with an officially reported 86.8% of the vote against a slate of Kremlin-approved rivals; the EU, UK and US again rejected the result as illegitimate.
Ties with Russia
Lukashenko has built an increasingly close alliance with Russia through the Union State framework signed in 1999. In February 2022 he allowed Russia to use Belarusian territory as a staging ground for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and in 2023 he agreed to host Russian tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil — the first Russian nuclear weapons stationed outside Russia since 1991. He also brokered the deal that ended the Wagner Group rebellion against Moscow in June 2023, offering its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and his fighters refuge in Belarus.
Sanctions and exile opposition
The EU, UK, US, Canada and Switzerland have imposed successive rounds of sanctions on Lukashenko, his family, and senior officials over electoral fraud, human rights abuses, the 2021 Belarus–EU border crisis, the hijacking of Ryanair flight 4978 in May 2021, and Belarus’s support for the war in Ukraine. The Belarusian opposition operates largely from exile in Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine, led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
At a glance
| Full name | Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko |
|---|---|
| Born | 30 August 1954, Kopys, Byelorussian SSR |
| Office | President of Belarus |
| In power since | 20 July 1994 |
| Most recent election | 26 January 2025 — 86.8% (not recognised by EU/UK/US) |
| Sanctions | EU, UK, US, Canada, Switzerland |
| Human rights | Freedom House: Not Free |
Frequently asked questions
Click a question to expand the answer.
Who is the president of Belarus in 2026?
Alexander Lukashenko is the de facto president of Belarus. He has held the office since July 1994 and claims an eighth term following the January 2025 election, which the EU, UK and US rejected as neither free nor fair.
How old is Alexander Lukashenko?
Lukashenko was born on 30 August 1954, which makes him 71 years old in April 2026.
How long has Lukashenko been in power?
Since 20 July 1994 — more than 31 years. That makes him the longest-serving head of state in Europe.
Is Belarus a dictatorship?
Most democracy watchdogs and Western governments classify Belarus under Lukashenko as an authoritarian dictatorship. Freedom House rates Belarus “Not Free”.
Why is Lukashenko called “Europe’s last dictator”?
The phrase stuck because Belarus is the only sovereign European country whose elections are not considered free and fair and whose political opposition is largely in prison or exile.
Does Belarus have nuclear weapons?
Belarus is not a nuclear-weapon state. In 2023 Lukashenko agreed to host Russian tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil — the first deployment of Russian nuclear weapons outside Russia since 1991.
What is the Union State between Belarus and Russia?
The Union State is a supranational framework signed by Belarus and Russia in December 1999 that provides for economic integration, shared citizenship rights, and coordinated foreign and defence policy.