Political Sphere Study on Public Perceptions of Belarus in Latvia Published

In October 2026, the Latvian Institute of International Affairs (LIIA) published the analytical volume Quo Vadis, Belarus? Contested Futures in a Changing Regional Order, featuring an article by Andrei Kazakevich, Director of the Institute of Political Studies “Political Sphere”, and researcher Dmitrijs Borjajevs. The article, titled “Belarus in Latvian Public Opinion: Sovereignty, Threat Perceptions and Policy Preferences”, is based on a representative public opinion survey designed by Political Sphere and conducted in Latvia by the SKDS research centre between 27 February and 2 March 2026. The survey included 1,005 respondents.

The authors examine how Latvian residents perceive Belarus’s political system, its dependence on Russia, potential security threats, and prospects for relations with the Belarusian authorities and democratic forces. According to the survey, 71.8% of respondents recognise significant Russian influence over Belarus’s foreign policy. However, perceptions of the Belarusian state differ considerably from attitudes towards Belarusian citizens: 78.1% of respondents consider the threat posed by Belarusians residing in Latvia to be low or non-existent. Meanwhile, 56.2% support various forms of cooperation with Belarusian democratic forces. The study also identifies significant differences in attitudes across linguistic and age groups within Latvian society.

Full collection: Quo Vadis, Belarus? Contested Futures in a Changing Regional Order (article by Andrei Kazakevich and Dmitrijs Borjajevs, pp. 160–177):
https://liia.lv/en/publications/quo-vadis-belarus-contested-futures-in-a-changing-regional-order-1616

LINK TO ARTICLE