"The book’s strength derives from its treatment of energy policy at two distinct levels of analysis. First, Balmaceda demonstrates how Lukashenka extracted energy rents at the international level. Secondly, she shows how he manipulated the distribution of rents domestically to bolster his legitimacy and regime stability. The disagregation of both Belarus and Russia into their component actors provides the author with analytical leverage missing from much of the writing about the topic. It allows the author to make connections between Lukashenka and corporate actors in both states as she analyzes policies around gas transit and oil refining, rather than seeing ties ex clusively at the bilateral state level."
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