This is a really good question, about whether it’s still an independent sovereign state. Bizarrely, Belarus has had a seat at the United Nations since the UN was founded, despite it having been a Soviet republic during the USSR’s lifetime. Perhaps its current status is returning to that postwar situation? It feels almost like a US territory like Guam or Puerto Rico, or a UK overseas territory like Gibraltar, but actually probably with even less autonomy than they have. It’d be interesting to think about the different ways in which Russia has come to control its neighbours. And makes me grateful that we thankfully brought many of its neighbours into the Western fold before Russia started behaving like this.