The outcry from a betrayed West was loud and visceral. Lukashenko had lured the IMF and the European Union into providing support for his economy during the global financial crisis. The presidents of Italy and Lithuania had made high-profile visits prior to the elections as part of a policy of “engagement.” The foreign ministers of Poland, Germany, and Sweden traveled to Minsk during the fall of 2010 to meet with Lukashenko, civil-society groups, and opposition leaders.
Lukashenko había engatusado al FMI y a la Unión Europea para que prestaran apoyo a su economía durante la crisis financiera mundial. Los presidentes de Italia y Lituania habían hecho visitas muy destacadas antes de las elecciones como parte de una política de “compromiso”.