Conference in Warsaw
At the Warsaw conference on Eastern Europe, Pavel Latushka, Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet and Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management, declared, "We need bridges for Belarusians, but walls for the regime."
The conference, titled "The Future of Belarus: the Forgotten Front of Russian Expansionism," brought together experts from Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, the United States, and Ukraine to discuss critical challenges facing the region.
Pavel Latushka presented stark data on the state of political repression in Belarus, revealing that the number of officially recognized political prisoners has surpassed 1,400. He emphasized that human rights activists estimate the actual number to be significantly higher, potentially three to four times the official figure.
Addressing regional security concerns, Pavel Latushka highlighted how Lukashenko continues to systematically dismantle Belarus' sovereignty and independence. He warned that the so-called "integration" with Russia within the Union State framework is reaching a critical juncture, with political and military control over Belarus increasingly shifting into Russian hands. Lukashenko's regime, Latushka asserted, is now entirely reliant on Russian resources for its survival.
The head of the NAM also criticized what he perceives as key errors in Western countries' approach to the Lukashenko regime. He argued that the strategy of appeasement, of avoiding actions that might "anger" or pressure Lukashenko, has proven ineffective. This approach, he believes, has led to the current critical situation both within Belarus and along its borders with Ukraine and the EU. Lukashenko has already engaged in most of the very actions the West feared provoking, creating a multitude of threats precisely during the period when he faced minimal pressure. By attempting to avoid "pushing Lukashenko into the arms of Russia," the West has become a passive observer to the ever-tightening embrace between Putin and Lukashenko.
During the conference, Pavel Latushka proposed concrete steps to support the Belarusian people:
Strengthened visa support for Belarusians to foster stronger ties between Belarusians and Europe and the West;
Increased support for independent media and democratic institutions as essential foundations for a future European democratic Belarus;
Abandonment of "red lines" regarding Lukashenko given that he has already crossed many such lines, harmonizing sanctions against his regime with those imposed on Russia, issuing an arrest warrant for Lukashenko.
In his concluding remarks, Pavel Latushka emphasized, "The majority of Belarusians remain committed to democratic values and oppose the war. Any effective strategy for Belarus must be built upon supporting the Belarusian people and empowering them as agents of change. This necessitates strengthening, not severing, the ties between Belarusians and the West."
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