Belarus has a history of domination by foreign powers and being divided and reunited. It was part of the USSR for over 70 years. Belarus declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 after the parliament declared sovereignty in 1990. For almost three years the country did not have a president and was ruled by the Supreme Council. Alexander Lukashenko became the country's first president in 1994. Belarus and Russia have been close allies since the breakup of the Soviet Union, with Belarus dependent on Russia for imports and exports. A union between Russia and Belarus was established in the 1990s through treaties promoting shared policies, but stopped short of fully merging the governments. Under President Lukashenko, Belarus maneuvers between the influence of Western