# 174. Taking On Europe's Last Dictator: The Fight Against Lukashenko and Putin

An episode of [The Rest Is Politics: Leading](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1665265193), 6 Feb 2026, 29 min.

Audio: https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/GLT9383804424.mp3?updated=1770387217

How did Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya go from being a housewife to leading a Belarussian government in exile? How did Aleksandr Lukashenko become the last dictator in Europe? Why was Segei, Sviatlana’s husband, imprisoned for opposing the Putin-backed regime? Alastair and Rory are joined by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya who, along with Bill Browder, is part of a two part series featuring those standing up to Putin. Join The Rest Is Politics Plus: Start your free trial at therestispolitics.com to unlock exclusive bonus content – including Rory and Alastair’s miniseries – plus ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, an exclusive members’ newsletter, discounted book prices, and a private chatroom on Discord. Social Producer: Celine Charles Video Editor: Josh Smith Producer: Alice Horrell Senior Producer: Nicole Maslen Head of Politics: Tom Whiter Exec Producers: Tony Pastor + Jack Davenport Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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