The growing street protests in Belarus threaten not only President Lukashenko, the country's authoritarian leader, but also Russia's Vladimir Putin. Russia sees Belarus as a crucial buffer state against Nato and the West, and Putin also fears this kind of 'people power' could be a threat to his leadership. The growth of opposition inside Russia was highlighted by the poisoning of the leading Kremlin critic Alexi Navalny, a constant thorn in the President's side. The stakes are high for President Putin but is he really under threat - both in his back yard and his own country? And how should the West respond?

Panel:-
Jan Neutze Director of Cybersecurity Policy at Microsoft responsible for Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).
Martha Lane Fox Co-founded Last Minute.com, Peer and expert on public service digital projects.
Presented by Zeinab Badawi. Show less