pSunday's presidential election in Belarus passed off without a repeat of the violent repression seen five years ago. As a result the EU has suspended, for 4 months, sanctions against President Alexander Lukashenko's regime. Recently Lukashenko has been opening up to the West, which is highly anxious that he should not allow Russia to set up an airbase in the country. pbr But does Belarus really have any choice but to host the airbase? Its teetering economy remains heavily dependent on Russian capital and cheap energy, as Gulliver Cragg reports.