What is Alexander Lukashenko Up To? And More.
Belarus's strongman is freeing prisoners and courting Washington while deepening military ties with Moscow — a double game that reveals more about his weakness than his cunning.
Simon Whistler • July 3, 2026
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Note: this transcript was generated by AI and may contain errors or inconsistencies.
Welcome back to The Briefing Room, the show that serves as your weekly reminder that other important stuff is going on in the world beyond the headlines. This week, that includes the recent attempt by Uganda's heir apparent to expel all Turkish citizens from the country, a move that suggests Uganda may soon be in for some dark times.
Sticking with Africa, there's also a growing war between Islamic State and a mysterious rebel group that's shaking up northern Nigeria.
But first, we're going to check in on the dictator of Belarus, who appears to be trying to play Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping off against one another in a desperate attempt to ensure his nation stays out of the Ukraine war. As always, thank you so much for subscribing.
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