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.
Loukachenko avait convaincu le FMI et l’Union européenne de soutenir l’économie bélarusse lors de la crise financière mondiale. Les présidents italien et lituanien avaient effectué une visite de haut niveau dans le pays avant les élections dans le cadre d’une politique « d’engagement ».