Belarus Watch Thread

[caltrek]

Lukashenka Says Putin Not Pushing Belarus To Join War In Ukraine
August 18, 2023

Introduction:

(RFE/RL via Eurasia Review) — Belarusian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka said Russian President Vladimir Putin is not trying to push Belarus into joining the war in Ukraine and vowed that Minsk’s forces would never take part in the war unless Ukrainian troops crossed the border into Belarus.

“To involve Belarus…what will that give? Nothing,” Lukashenka said in an online interview with a pro-Russian Ukrainian journalist published by state news agency BelTA on August 17. “If you Ukrainians do not cross our border, we will never participate in this war.”

While Belarus has not sent forces to fight in Ukraine, it has allowed Russia to use its territory as a staging ground for the full-scale invasion Moscow launched in February 2022, and Lukashenka has backed Russia’s war and met with Putin frequently.

He vowed in the interview to “always help Russia,” adding that they “are our allies.”

Lukashenka showed his loyalty in late June when he took part in talks to end a mutiny by the private Wagner mercenary group, claiming he helped halt the revolt by agreeing with Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and Putin to host Wagner troops in Belarus.

Read more here: https://www.eurasiareview.com/18082023 ... -ukraine/

[firestar464]

Resurrecting this thread:

Hackers claim to have infiltrated Belarus' main security service

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ha ... r-AA1nJqVI

[caltrek]

Lukashenko's Disputed Victory Sparks Global Condemnation
by Katarzyna Staszko
January 26, 2025

Introduction:

(MSN)According to the AFP agency, Alexander Lukashenko received 87.6 percent of the votes in the presidential election. These results are from the state exit poll. Sunday's election is not considered democratic by the Belarusian opposition and the West. Previous polls have also faced heavy criticism on the international stage. "The situation is clear for us. We consider the elections of August 9 fraudulent. We don’t recognise Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus," said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in a statement issued on behalf of the EU, highlighting the "falsified results" of the election on August 9, 2020.

The election was held without genuine independent candidates running against Lukashenko, a free press, and was marked by governmental repression, including actions against the families of opposition members.

It's important to note that the opposition refers to them as "non-elections" due to the absence of real opponents and the lack of a democratic process. Besides Lukashenko, five candidates participated, although they all played a puppet role in the process.

Lukashenko has been in power in Belarus without interruption for 31 years. Before Sunday's "election," he was confident of securing another victory.

Harsh reaction from Tsikhanouskaya

"If the dictator thought his sham 'elections' would give him legitimacy, he was very wrong. The democratic world stands united in rejecting this farce and supporting Belarusians in our call for freedom. These are not elections but a 'special operation' to illegally cling to power. Lukashenka, propped up by Putin, holds 9 million Belarusians hostage, drags us into war, and betrays our sovereignty. We will never accept him. He does not represent Belarus. The regime must end its repressions, release political prisoners, and be held accountable for its crimes. Belarusians will prevail!" wrote Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

Read more here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/l ... 8&ei=109

[firestar464]

F-UCK LUKASHENKO LONG LIVE FREE BELARUS

[wjfox]

'Don't overdo it, Steve': BBC journalist in testy exchange with Belarus president

16 hours ago

Long-time leader of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, once dubbed "Europe's last dictator", has been re-elected president with 86.8% of the vote.

The result has been condemned as a sham by Lukashenko's opponents and Western governments.

There were four other names on the ballot - carefully chosen to present no challenge to the current leadership - and no credible contenders were allowed to take part in the election, as all opposition figures are either in jail or in exile abroad.

In a mammoth four-and-a-half hour press conference on Sunday evening, the BBC's Russia editor Steve Rosenberg asked questions about democracy and political prisoners.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/c5y7p58gepzo

[firestar464]

How to Resist a Dictator- Opinion by Belarus's president in exile

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/belarus/ ... hanouskaya

[firestar464]

Belarus frees Nobel winner Bialiatski, opposition figure Kalesnikava as US eases sanctions

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/be ... r-AA1Shv9B