1. SAGE Lecture Spark
[1/10/19]
The Publisher of the Social Sciences

2. Belarus Warns Putin is Destroying Countries to Re-Create Soviet Bloc
“The Russian President has pressured the government in Minsk to three sets of talks encouraging the ex-Soviet state to come back to Mother Russia.”
“Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said: ‘I can read between the lines and I understand the hints. You should just say it out loud - destroy the country and become part of Russia.’”

3. Why the world should be paying attention to Putin’s plans for Belarus
This op-ed from the Washington Post argues that in our apathy, we may miss that Russia is set not only to bring Belarus out of a union and back into a Soviet bloc, but also:
“Moscow may be on the cusp of becoming, once again, a full-fledged imperial capital, absorbing and ruling over multiple countries.”

4. Belarus’s Leader Upsets Vladimir Putin by Cozying up to the West
Unlike other ex-Soviet countries, Belarus has remained fiercely communist, cherishes its Soviet history, and its leader has a reputation as Europe’s coercive “last dictator.”
Despite this, “he has ruled out the idea of a Russian military base in Belarus, and has hosted American generals and diplomats. On December 14th he told Russian journalists: ‘If someone wants to break [Belarus] into regions and force us to become a subject of Russia, that will never happen.’”

5. Lukashenko Says Union between Belarus and Russia Successful
This article from a Russian government-run news agency tells a very different story:
“Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has wished happy holidays to Russian President Vladimir Putin and noted that the union between the two peoples has been successful.”

6. Key Concepts
Geopolitical Communication in a Post-Soviet World
While the Soviet Union and the Cold War are no more, the political rivalries and policy styles of the First and Second Worlds echo on today.
This can be seen in the issues of the ex-Soviet Bloc nation Belarus, where Russian snippets of Belarussian quotes tell a very different story similar stories from other nations.

7. Assessment
Writing: Why might it be in Vladimir Putin or Russia’s interest to portray Belarus as friendly with Russia?
Debate: The Russian news agency uses quotes, likely from the same speaking engagement, of the Belarusian president. If all the articles use the same source, who is right? Do you believe any of the sources are not telling the truth, embellishing the truth, or simply selecting different bits of quote?
Poll: Does it concern you to think about a new Soviet Union forming?
Yes, No, Unsure
Short Answer: How much do you know about the Cold War and who did you learn it from? Did your parents or school cover it?
Current Events Quiz
The Russian government has pressured Belarus to take part in:
During discussions with Russia, Putin has encouraged Belarus to:
The Washington Post op-ed argues that this is just the start to Russia:
The Belarusian president has said his country will not become a:
Counter to other global media, Russia says the talks have been:
Answers
Talks
Re-join Russia
Ruling over multiple countries again.
Subject of Russia
5. Successful

8. https://www. aljazeera Or
Al Jazeera's Neave Barker takes a closer look at how Russia-Belarus ties have evolved over the years. [Double-click to see video]

9.
The decades-long “Cold War” ( ) between the United States and the Soviet Union was so named because the two global powers never came to direct blows. Yet, the war was not without its victims. In fact, millions of Cubans, Koreans, and Vietnamese suffered under Communist tyranny. In this video, renowned British historian Andrew Roberts explains why “The Cold War” could just as easily be called “The Third World War.”