Today is the Day of Military Glory of Belarus. The anniversary of the famous Battle of Orsha, in which the troops of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, our heroic ancestors, defeated the almost three times superior forces of the Moscow invaders. Invaders who, just like 500 years ago, are still trying to subjugate our land and our people. But, just like 500 years ago, so it is now — Belarus is alive. And it will live. After all, the cause of Prince Astrozhsky continues to live today. First of all, in our brave heroes, who, with arms in hand, together with their Ukrainian brothers-in-arms, again fight and defeat the enemy invasion. And above all, they are worthy of this holiday, worthy of military glory. Glory to our heroes! Alive and perished. You are an example, you are the honor, you are the dignity of Belarus. And the future of the independent Belarus army. Congratulations on the holiday of military glory! Thank you, each and everyone! But there are other soldiers. The current Belarusian army. Is it worthy of this holiday? No, I can't say that today. But nevertheless, I am sure that most of you also understand where and who our real enemy is. Where the real threat to Belarus comes from, just like 500 years ago. And you see that it was Lukashenko who brought this threat to our doorstep. That the «russian world», to which he opened the gates to Belarus and Ukraine, will not just stop. And although Russia is already beginning to understand that it cannot win the war against Ukraine. But feeling at home in Belarus, Russia is confident that it can keep our country to herself. Russian propaganda does not even hide these intentions and already lists the regions of our country that Russia claims first of all. Russian analysts, like the Russian leadership itself, consider the independence of Belarus a historical mistake. By the way, like Lukashenko, who considers independence an accident and a relative concept. During almost 30 years of his reign, he surrendered our independence and our sovereignty to Russia step by step. And as a result, he allowed foreign soldiers to roam freely on Belarusian land as if it was their own. Allowed Belarus to be turned into an instrument of military aggression. Transform our land into a Russian military bridgehead. But this is our land. And our ancestors fought for it for centuries, writing many glorious pages in the history of the struggle of Belarusians for independence and our very existence. And the main threat to Belarus all this time was primarily Russia — in its various historical guises. It only changed names and masks, but never gave up its imperial ambitions. Russia did not give up its desire to subjugate and completely control Belarus. And you see, you must see that Belarus will again have to face these ambitions. We will again have to defend our land, our independence, our Motherland. You must see who is dragging our country straight into the clutches of the aggressor. Who lied to you all this time, calling himself a «guarantor» of independence and sovereignty — and at the same time traded Belarus, sold it in parts. Only to secure another term in power. But today Lukashenko is no longer needed even by his Kremlin masters. They no longer need a sovereignty trader — because they no longer want to trade. They just want to take. Knowing full well that the «guarantor» will agree to this. Only to preserve not even power, not the illusion of power, but his own skin. But they forgot to ask us, Belarusians. Forgot to ask you, the military. Are we ready to give them our country? I am sure that the majority of Belarusians will answer firmly — no! This is our land! Indeed, today I cannot congratulate the military personnel serving in Belarus on the Day of Military Glory. But I ask you — are you ready to give our Motherland to the Russians? Are you ready to let Lukashenko sell it to Russia? For the sake of him and his Kremlin «elder brothers,» are you ready to betray the oath, military glory and memory of all those who for centuries defended the right of Belarus and our people to exist? The choice is simple. Glory or shame. Lukashenko and Russia — or independent Belarus. Make no mistake.

Theses of Pavel Latushka’s speech at the panel “The Relation Between the Western World and Belarus: What Went Wrong?” at the XXXII Economic Forum in Karpacz There is a famous expression: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” And nothing is more detrimental to the inaction of good people than the misconception that something is beyond their sphere of influence when it actually falls within the sphere of influence of evil. However, evil should not have any spheres of influence. No country in the world should be under the sphere of influence of evil. Independent, freedom-loving nations and countries cannot and should not be considered as part of the sphere of influence of evil under the guise of the “Russian world.” Unfortunately, this is precisely what has happened to Belarus, which has been perceived as a Russian sphere of influence by our Western partners for far too long. This is also the answer to the question, “What went wrong in the relation between the Western world and Belarus?” Today, we are witnessing the dire consequences of this mistake. Currently, there are not just one, but two wars unleashed by Russia taking place in the heart of Europe: Russia’s war against independent Ukraine and Russia’s war against independent Belarus. In both conflicts, the illegitimate authorities of Belarus are fighting against Ukraine and against their own country, while supporting Russia. However, there are those who are fighting for Belarus. These are the Belarusian democratic forces, the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, the National Anti-Crisis Management, and the Belarusian volunteer formations in Ukraine. Similar to Ukraine, we require decisive and proactive allies with a strategy. Let us be honest; we have not yet had a proactive strategy. Yes, there are no hostilities taking place on our territory right now, and therefore I am not asking you for HIMARS, Leopards, or F-16 Fighting Falcons. The takeover of Belarus by Russia is being carried out differently. This is a hybrid occupation for which Russia is spending enormous resources. Russia spends billions to keep the puppet regime of Lukashenka in power, ensuring mass repressions, implementing integration programs of the so-called Union State –a neo-Soviet project to absorb Belarus. It invests in eradicating the national consciousness and ideologically rewiring Belarusians with the ideas of “ruscism” and the “Russian world,” as well as deploying nuclear weapons and conducting endless military exercises on our territory. Today, Russia is the only country with a strategy towards Belarus. This strategy aims to absorb Belarus within the framework of the Union State project and dissolve it into the “Russian world.” The puppet regime of Lukashenka serves as the conductor of this strategy and the instrument for its implementation. The regime has proven its complicity by becoming an accomplice in the war against Ukraine in 2022 and continues to demonstrate it through participation in Russian war crimes, the deportation of Ukrainian children from occupied territories, the stationing of Russian nuclear weapons and Wagner PMC mercenaries in Belarus, and the destruction of everything Belarusian. However, we, Belarusians, have not given up. The “War of the Worlds” in Belarus – the war between the “Russian world” and the democratic world – is not yet over. But by fighting almost alone, with catastrophically limited resources, we, the democratic forces, risk losing it. Therefore, the strategy I am discussing is focused on building up the potential of the Belarusian democratic forces in our battle for Belarus against the “Russian world.” This strategy encompasses all of the battle fronts listed below. 1. Informational front: It is necessary to significantly increase support for independent Belarusian media, both financially and educationally. We must have a strong and professional counterbalance to the propaganda and media holdings of the Union State, which are currently being created. The propaganda of the “Russian world” in Belarus is directed against democracy, liberal values, Europe, and the West. The “Russian world” is our common enemy, and we must not allow it to capture the minds of Belarusians. Belarusian independent media should receive significantly larger budgets and opportunities for professional education, advanced training of their employees, and staff expansion. Another important aspect is to promote and significantly expand the coverage of pro-Belarusian content, as well as advertise it. 2. Ideological, cultural, and civil front: A significant increase in support for the civil sector and culture is required. This support should primarily focus on projects aimed at preserving national identity and promoting a Belarusian-oriented and pro-European consciousness, as opposed to a pro-Russian consciousness. 3. Economic front: Due to the fact that sanctions against Russia and the Lukashenka regime have not yet been fully harmonized, Belarus has become a gray area for circumventing sanctions. Additionally, the economy and military-industrial complex of Belarus have essentially merged into a single entity with that of Russia within the framework of the Union State. There is no time to waste, and we must not allow the aggressors to strengthen their military machine at the expense of Belarus. The following actions are necessary: Fully harmonize sanctions against Russia and the Lukashenka regime in Belarus as soon as possible; Introduce the strictest control over the implementation of sanctions and begin to enforce strict punishments for their violation; Make investment in the Lukashenka regime as expensive as possible for Russia. The most effective measure, of course, would be a trade embargo on the Lukashenka regime. Therefore, we welcome the readiness of Poland and the Baltic States to completely close their borders with Belarus for the movement of goods. It is important that the closure of borders affects not only automobile but also rail traffic. However, it is crucial to ensure that ordinary citizens of Belarus still have the ability to travel. 4. Political front: The only political counterweight to the Lukashenka regime is the United Transitionald Cabinet of Belarus, headed by President-elect Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. To enhance its potential, the following actions are necessary: Recognize the Cabinet as the sole legitimate authority representing Belarus, the Transitional Government of Belarus. The illegitimate regime of Lukashenka and his elites must realize that there is a recognized alternative backed by strong international support. This is a crucial condition, perhaps one of the decisive factors in guaranteeing a split within Belarus’ elites. Issue an arrest warrant for Lukashenka for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. You are aware that the NAM team has already submitted a communication to the ICC regarding the role of the Lukashenka regime in the illegal movement and re-education of Ukrainian children. Additionally, with our support, our Justice Hub partners have prepared a comprehensive report on the regime’s crimes against humanity and developed appropriate mechanisms for holding it accountable. An international arrest warrant for Lukashenka will render him toxic within his own circle and expedite the internal division. I believe in such a scenario, I believe that the Belarusians will always be able to negotiate with the Belarusians. Therefore, it is crucial to provide comprehensive support to the Cabinet for the liberation of Belarus from the Lukashenka regime and the “Russian world,” ensuring independence and a European perspective for Belarus. 5. Geopolitical front: In essence, everything I mentioned above boils down to a simple question: What kind of Belarus do you envision for tomorrow – Russian “Belarussia” or European Belarus? If the answer is “European Belarus,” then all the objectives I previously outlined should form the foundation of our common and proactive strategy. Currently, we see a Belarus that is aligned not with Europe but with Russian projects: the Union State, CSTO, EAEU, and CIS. The so-called Union State serves as the basis and primary instrument of Russia’s imperial policy. Therefore, I want to remind you of the words of former Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Urmas Reinsalu, who stated: “The most powerful sanction that the West can impose on Russia is the abolition of the Lukashenka regime in Belarus. Abolishing Lukashenka’s regime means abolishing the Union State, and it means winning both wars: the war for Ukraine and the war for Belarus.” Belarus belongs with Europe, not with Russia. And this idea is shared by all our partners. However, the time for being mere partners should transform into the time of proactive allies. The time for contemplation and concern should morph into a time of decisive action. Here is our message to Europe: BELARUS IS NOT THE “RUSSIAN WORLD” AND NOT WITHIN RUSSIA’S SPHERE OF INFLUENCE. Long live free European Belarus!

Pavel Latushka, Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus and Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management, held a meeting with young diplomats of the foreign ministries of the European Union member states. The meeting was attended by representatives of more than 20 foreign ministries: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Portugal, Croatia and other EU member states. The meeting was held in the Free Belarus Museum. Pavel Latushka informed the diplomats about the internal situation in Belarus, and the repressions carried out by Lukashenka’s regime against the Belarusians. Pavel Latushka’s presentation abstracts: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I am pleased to welcome you to the Free Belarus Museum, the project of the National Anti-Crisis Management, which I am the head of. This is the second time we have organised such a meeting, a year ago I also spoke to your colleagues. It is important for me that I have the opportunity to tell you about the situation in Belarus and to tell you how important it is to win the war for Belarus. How to win the war for Belarus? Right now in the center of Europe there is not one, but two imperialist wars going on. Wars unleashed by Russia. The war against free and independent Ukraine. And the war against free and independent Belarus. In total, in Belarus today there are more than 5000 political prisoners, who are tortured in prisons, more than 60 000 people have been detained for political reasons, about 500 thousand people have been forced to leave Belarus. The second war was undeclared, quiet and almost invisible against the background of the first. Moreover, the first war could not have happened without the second one in principle. Without the Belarusian bridgehead, obtained by Russia as a result of the hybrid occupation of Belarus, Russia's march on Kiev would in principle be impossible. However, history does not tolerate subjunctive mood. Therefore, let's talk about how the two wars are connected and what our strategy should be in relation to Belarus. If we want to wrest it from the Russian occupation, and not put a cross on it. The first thing we must understand is that in both wars, the pro-Russian regime of the Kremlin puppet Lukashenko is on the side of Russia. Yes, this is a paradox, because the authorities and the army of Ukraine are fighting for Ukraine, and this obvious fact makes it equally obvious to actively help them. At the same time, the illegitimate authorities of Belarus are fighting against Ukraine and Belarus, they are fighting for Russia. But there are those who fight for Belarus instead of them. These are the Belarusian democratic forces, The United Transitional Cabinet – our governmental structure in exile, The Office of Belarusian president-elect Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, The National Anti-Crisis Management and other political and civil society organizations. And of course Belarusian volunteer formations in Ukraine. And just like the authorities and the army of Ukraine, we need pro-active allies with a strategy. I would even say that without such allies, our chances of saving Belarus tend to zero. Yes, there are no military operations on our territory now, and therefore we are not asking for Himars, Leopards or F-16 fighters. The capture of Belarus by Russia is carried out differently. This is a hybrid war, а hybrid occupation. On which Russia spends huge resources. Russia spends billions to keep Lukashenko's puppet regime in power, to ensure its mass repressions, to implement the integration programs of the so-called Union State - Russia's neo-Soviet project to absorb Belarus. On the placement of nuclear weapons and endless military exercises on our territory. It also spends huge resources on the eradication of national consciousness and the ideological reflashing of Belarusians in the spirit of rashism and the «Russian world». It is anti-Belarusian and anti-European reflashing. So the second thing we need to understand if we want to save Belarus is to increase the potential of nationally oriented, pro-European Belarusian democratic forces in the fight against Russia and pro-Russian forces in Belarus at least several times. Unfortunately, today Russia is the only country that has a strategy for Belarus. The strategy of the absorption of Belarus within the framework of the project of the Union State and our dissolution in the «Russian world». And the conductor of this strategy, the obedient and faithful instrument of its implementation in Belarus is the puppet regime of Lukashenko. This is the third thing to understand. Lukashenko is not the one with whom you need to look for points of contact, not the one who wants or will oppose Russia in its silent war for Belarus. Not the one who cares about her national interests. He proved it by becoming an accomplice in the war against Ukraine in 2022 and continues to prove it today by participating in Russia's war crimes, in the deportation of Ukrainian children from the occupied territories, by placing Russian nuclear weapons and mercenaries of PMC Wagner in Belarus. And at the same time methodically destroying everything Belarusian. So how can anyone still be so blind and naive to think that it is possible to agree on something with Lukashenko? That «it is not necessary to put too much pressure on him, so as not to push Belarus into the arms of Russia even more»? Well, this is far from a new approach. This card was skillfully played after every political crisis in Belarus. We can see what this led to, what all the attempts to negotiate with Lukashenko led to. We see Belarus on the verge of complete loss of sovereignty and independence. And to be honest, they are de facto already largely lost. And it is no longer about their protection — it should be about their restoration. Because all this time, playing the «multi-vector» card, the «balancing between Russia and the West» card, the Lukashenko regime did not just fulfill, but over-fulfilled the plans assigned to it in the Kremlin. And yet — we, Belarusians, still haven't given up. The «War of the worlds» in Belarus — the war of the «Russian world» against the democratic one — is not over yet. But by conducting it almost alone and with current resources, we, the democratic forces, risk losing it. Yes, in this war we have allies — but our allies are passive. And unlike our enemy, our allies have no common strategy. I know that this may sound unpleasant — but today I am speaking before you not as a diplomat, but as a Belarusian politician. A politician of a country that is being quietly murdered before everyone's eyes and who clearly reports to himself that diplomacy, and especially silence, cannot save it. It's time to look the truth in the eyes and not let them down, despite the fact that we may not like this truth. After all, if we are talking about a strategy — a strategy for victory in the battle for Belarus — we must base it on objective reality. And the reality is that the battle for Belarus today is going on on several fronts. And on each of them, the enemy — Russia and its puppet Lukashenko — has a significant advantage. Therefore, the strategy I am talking about is the strategy of increasing the potential of Belarusian democratic forces in our battle for Belarus with the «Russian world». Perhaps, this is a geopolitical front where the fate of Belarus will be decided. Will it become a de facto part of Russia, finally dissolving in the Union State — or will it receive a European perspective of development, the prospect of joining the European Union and NATO. In fact, everything I talked about above boils down to a simple question: Which Belarus do our partners want to see tomorrow: Russian «Belarussia» or European Belarus? And if the answer is a European Belarus, a future member of the EU and NATO, then all the tasks I mentioned above should form the basis of our common strategy. For now we see a completely different Belarus. Belarus, which is a participant in not European, but Russian integration projects: the Union State, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, the Eurasian Economic Union and the CIS. But without Belarus, all the imperial projects of Russia become impossible. As the continuation of the war against Ukraine becomes impossible too. Because the war against Ukraine is not waged by Russia alone, but by the Union State of Russia and Belarus. In which Belarus is only because the Lukashenko regime exists. While the Union State exists only because Belarus is part of it. This situation will not change while the Lukashenko regime exists. Therefore, if we seriously want to change it, then we need to remember that the most powerful sanction that the West can apply to Russia is to abolish the Lukashenko regime in Belarus. To abolish Lukashenko's regime means to abolish the Union State — and it means to win both wars much faster: the war for Ukraine and the war for Belarus. Belarus's place is with Europe, not with Russia. And this opinion is shared by all our partners. However, the time of partners must change to the time of pro-active allies. The time of thoughts and deep concerns must be replaced by the time of decisive actions. Thank you for your attention. Жыве вольная еўрапейская Беларусь! І Слава Украіне!

Call for joining forces The National's Anti-Crisis Management team, together with partners from the human rights and lawyer communities, has been consistently making efforts since the fall of 2020 to activate the mechanisms of universal jurisdiction. The goal is to bring to justice the perpetrators of crimes against humanity on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, the direct perpetrators of torture and violence. According to the information we have, applications have been submitted in several European countries: Poland, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Germany and Switzerland. Among the victims are not only citizens of Belarus, but also residents of these countries. Each country has its own specific legal requirements. At the moment, applications are at different stages of consideration, but the overall picture is still disappointing: not a single suspect has yet been put on the wanted list. In the current situation, this is our first priority. We continue to seek help and expertise from all who are willing to actively participate in this important work. In particular, we invite victims, including political prisoners released from places of detention and subjected to violence or torture, to contact us via email or through our Telegram chat bot. We invite lawyers and legal experts to share their ideas on how to effectively ensure access to justice for victims, given the difficult situation in Belarus and the differences in the legislation of different countries. We see the need and prospects for increasing the number of applications submitted and expanding the geography of countries in which they will be considered. We are convinced that achieving a critical mass of statements can be a key factor in overcoming bureaucratic obstacles and stimulating European officials to take bold and decisive action in this direction. Join the discussion, share your ideas and suggestions. Your contribution can be decisive.

US sanctions 11 Russians and 2 re-education facilities involved in forced transfer of Ukrainian kids Original article: apnews.com The United States on Thursday announced sanctions against 11 Russians and two re-education facilities reportedly involved in the forced transfer of thousands of Ukrainian children, accusing Moscow of war crimes and crimes against humanity. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield made the announcement at a U.N. Security Council meeting that the U.S. organized on Ukraine’s national day to put a spotlight on the transfer or deportation of its children as young as four months old, not only to Russia but to its ally Belarus and Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine’s east. “Children are literally being ripped from their homes in the year 2023,” she said. “Russia and its proxies have detained children fleeing violence. They have forced children out of schools and orphanages. And local proxies have tricked or coerced parents into sending their children to so-called `summer camps’ only to be cut off from communication and refused to have their children returned to them.” Deportations of Ukrainian children have been a concern since Russia’s Feb. 24, 2022, invasion of Ukraine. The International Criminal Court increased pressure on Russia when it issued arrest warrants on March 17 for President Vladimir Putin and Russian children’s rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of abducting children from Ukraine. Estimates vary of the number of children taken from Ukraine, but Thomas-Greenfield said the United States knows that since February 2022 there have been thousands. She said the U.S. is also aware of reports that Belarus leaders have supported moving Ukrainian children to camps in their country. She quoted the National Anti-Crisis Management Group saying at least 2,100 Ukrainian youngsters were taken to Belarus from Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine between September 2022 and May 2023. Ukraine’s U.N. ambassador, Sergiy Kyslytsya told the council that “Ukraine has strong grounds to believe that several hundred thousand Ukrainian children were forcibly and unlawfully taken by Russia, with many still being held against their will.” He likened Russia’s actions against children to crimes the Nazis committed against children during World War II saying: “Our children are exposed to aggressive brainwashing aimed at changing their consciousness, erasing their Ukrainian identity, and preparing obedient soldiers for the Russian army in the future.” Thomas-Greenfield, who announced the new U.S. sanctions, told the council they target individuals who have reportedly facilitated the forcible transfer and deportation of children to camps. In addition, she said, the U.S. put visa restrictions on three Russia for their reported involvement in human rights abuses against Ukrainian minors. The U.S. State Department later released a list of those subject to a freeze of any U.S. assets including the commissioners for children’s rights in the Russian regions of Belgorod, Kaluga and Rostov and officials in the Chechen Republic for their reported involvement in child deportations. It also imposed sanctions on a Russian-owned “summer camp” called Artek in Russian-occupied Crimea which received Ukrainian children who were placed in “patriotic” re-education programs and prevented from returning to their families and the Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation which the U.S. said is used by the Kadyrov family to oversee re-education of Ukrainian children in camps outside Grozny in the Chechen Republic. Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused the U.S. of launching a proxy war against Russia, backed by Britain and the European Union, to “gain experience in modern day methods of engaging in armed hostilities,” risking nothing but weapons supplied to Ukraine. He said Russia was “compelled” to come to the defense of women, children and the elderly and dismissed what he called a host of lies about Russia’s actions including “the lie about our alleged abductions of Ukrainian children, who we are actually saving.” A significant number of council nations made no mention of the issue of deported children, including China. Instead, they focused on the need to end the conflict and to restore the initiative that allowed Ukraine to ship grain from Black Sea ports. Russia suspended the deal in mid-July until its demands to ensure Russian food and fertilizer can get to world markets are met, sparking food price increases and fears of a global food crisis. But France’s deputy U.N. ambassador Nathalie Broadhurst Estival said Russia’s addition to the U.N. “blacklist of infamy” in June for violating children’s rights bears out the gravity of its crimes against children. “France urges the Russian Federation to respect international law and to immediately end these atrocities,” she said. Britain’s deputy ambassador James Kariuki said the forced transfers and deportations of children have “devastating and life changing consequences that will be felt for generations.”

August 17, 2023Lukashenko made a number of contradictory statements at a meeting with the Chinese Defence Minister. Let's try to figure out whether this is a trick or a stream of meaningless theses? 1. We are absolute supporters of territorial integrity and unity of the borders and territories established after the Second World War. On the one hand, Lukashenko's regime is an aggressor and has violated international law, the UN Charter, having started the second phase of aggression against Ukraine together with Russia, i.e. violated the principle of inviolability of borders. So today he says that Russia is guilty? Does it violate the principle of territorial integrity? Is it an attack against Russia? NO! He speaks about the USSR, which means he is in favor of restoring the neo-imperialism within the borders of the USSR. But here he is also playing along with China on the Taiwan issue, because China's position is as follows: After the surrender of Japan in 1945, Taiwan returned to China. 2. We are absolute supporters of a multipolar world. But in fact we are talking about a bipolar world. Previously, it was the two poles of the USSR and the USA. Now he sees it as follows: USA/EU and China with Russia underneath and an appendix to that - the dictator Lukashenko himself. 3. We base our politics on a strong economy, strong diplomacy. Obviously, it has neither a strong economy nor powerful diplomacy. All of this has become an adjunct of Russia. 4. All our cooperation, and it is very significant, will by no means be directed against third countries. Military-technical cooperation is precisely directed against the third country that is Ukraine, because the technologies received from China allow it to produce weapons for Russia, which seeks to destroy Ukraine as an independent state. 5. The world is unstable, but through no fault of our own. This statement looks comical and tragic. Who is the aggressor and criminal is clear to the entire civilised world. 6. In this regard, we rely on our friends. And first of all the Russian Federation and China. Russia has now become a friendly but not a brotherly country? And this, most likely, is a message to the Kremlin that the dictator has one more support - China. Lukashenko is so sly. But anyway, it is his policy that pulls us Belarusians to Asia and despotism, and tears us away from Europe, where the main things are human rights and democracy, where the main value is a human being.

On August 25, Pavel Latushka met with Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia Mateja Norcic Stamcar. The head of the National Anti-Crisis Management congratulated the representative of the Slovenian Foreign Ministry on the election of the state as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. In the elections in Slovenia, Lukashenko's regime defeated. Main topics of the meeting: transfer information concerning the commission of war crimes by the Lukashenka regime in connection with the illegal transfer of Ukrainian children from the occupied territories of Ukraine to Belarus; presentation prepared by the Center for Law and Democracy "Justice Hub" with the support of messages the NAM about the facts of crimes against humanity committed by the Lukashenka regime. Mechanisms for bringing representatives of the regime to international criminal responsibility for crimes were discussed. The Director General agreed to analyze the possibilities of using UN instruments in these areas in connection with the election of Slovenia as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Measures to increase pressure on Lukashenka's regime were discussed. The representative of the Slovenian Foreign Ministry stressed that the country is in favor of further pressure on the Lukashenka regime in order to fulfill the demands of the Belarusian society, including the release of political prisoners. The problems of the Belarusian diaspora in Slovenia were discussed: it was agreed that the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs would support a corresponding request to the National Bank of Slovenia to solve the problem associated with opening accounts in Slovenia by a Belarusian. commercial banks of the country. The issue of issuing Slovenian visas to citizens of Belarus who suffered from repression by the regime, or to family members of repressed Belarusians, will be separately considered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia. They agreed to present a list of possible actions to support the democratic forces of Belarus by Slovenia within the framework of the UN. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia will analyze the reports prepared by the NAM team on crimes against Ukrainian children and crimes against citizens of Belarus in order to discuss possible further steps to bring the perpetrators to justice in the near future.

Keep fighting – you are sure to win! God helps you in your fight! For fame and freedom march with you, and right is on your side! Happy Independence Day, strong, determined, indomitable Ukraine! Happy Independence Day, brave, free, indomitable Ukrainian people! The Russian Empire, its Kremlin masters and their soldiers dreamed of taking this day away from you, taking away your independence, your freedom and your land. They were sure that it was a matter of "three days". But they didn't know anything about you. They knew nothing about people ready to fight for every meter of their land, ready to destroy hordes of invaders by any possible and impossible means. Ready to look this evil empire straight in the eyes, look into the eyes of the death it carries - and strike fear into those eyes. The invaders from the east called themselves "the second army of the world" - and the world believed it for a long time. Until the world saw the real army - the army of Ukraine. Until it saw courageous and indomitable Ukrainian men and women, for whom the ratings of military power and forecasts of foreign intelligence did not mean anything when it was time to defend their home and their land. You have shown the whole world what it means to be true patriots and warriors. Glory to the heroes! To each and every one! Now both enemies and allies of Ukraine saw how wrong they all were. Because they didn't know anything about you. But they know now. That's right - now even the enemies know what you knew from the very beginning - Ukraine will be victorious. And this victory will change the world. Because fighting for its independence today, Ukraine is fighting and setting an example to all peoples and countries that have suffered from Russian imperialism. Ukraine's victory is a chance to end it. A chance to end this empire. And we, Belarusians, also understand this. In the conditions of mass repressions, deportations, hybrid occupation of our country, we support Ukraine. Along with the whole civilized world. In February 2022, Belarusians took part in anti-war protests - not only abroad, but also in Belarus itself. Knowing the risks. After all, the pro-Russian regime of the usurper Lukashenko has been participating in the war against Ukraine on the side of Russia from the very beginning - against the will of the Belarusian people. But even thousands of new arrests and sentences for anti-war protests did not stop the Belarusian rail partisans, who risked their freedom, health and lives to stop the movement of Russian military echelons. They did not stop the underground movement, which transmitted and continues to transmit information about the movements of Russian troops in Belarus. They did not stop the diversionists who disabled the Russian guidance plane. Thousands of Belarusian volunteers were not stopped. They did not stop our heroes, who have relatives and friends left in Belarus, but who from the first days stood shoulder to shoulder with their fellow Ukrainians and beat the occupiers together, defending Ukraine in the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. All of them are the pride of the Belarusian nation. And their ranks continue to grow. The democratic forces of Belarus are fighting the aggressor on the international stage as well. We continue to strive for new sanctions against both aggressors - the Lukashenko regime and Russia, advocating for the harmonization of sanctions against both of them in order to deprive them of resources and opportunities to circumvent sanctions through Belarus. We are campaigning to bring the Lukashenko regime to criminal responsibility for complicity in war crimes, one of which is the deportation of Ukrainian children. We are fighting together on the information field, resisting Russian and pro-Russian propaganda, despite all the efforts of which the majority of Belarusians do not change their anti-war position. And we, Belarusians, will continue to support Ukraine, we will continue to fight for victory. For your freedom and ours. Happy Independence Day, Ukraine! I believe, I am sure that Ukraine will meet its 33rd anniversary of independence completely liberated, within its legal boundaries. I also believe that the next congratulations will come to Ukraine on behalf of free Belarus. Free from the Russian Empire and its puppet regime. Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the Heroes! And Long Live Belarus! Pavel Latushka Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management, Ambassador August 24, 2023

Not so long ago the Ministry of Justice of Belarus registered a new political party, which, according to the founders' plan, is supposed to become a party of power in Lukashenka's state. It's about "Belaya Rus", founded on the basis of the previously existing public association. Let's take a closer look at this party. You can get acquainted with its programme and leadership on the official website. We go to the site and the first thing that strikes the eye is that the site of the so-called party of power is only in Russian, and the Belarusian version is absent for some reason. Maybe it's a coincidence, they forgot to make it? Or not, and in the future, which the newly formed party is drawing for our country, there is no place for the native language. Maybe there is no Belarus itself? Well, let's not exaggerate, maybe it's just a coincidence. Let's look further. The site itself is designed not in the red-green colors beloved by the “yabatki”, but in some black-and-yellow colors, which painfully resemble the so-called "Georgian ribbon" or the colors of the black-yellow-white flag, which is actively used by Russian radical nationalists, such as Dmitry Rogozin, who recently came to Minsk. The party logo also has a very strange look. But why are we picking on it, it's all a matter of taste. In addition to quotes from their "leader" Lukashenka and Yanka Kupala, who by some miracle got into this company, the site also has a quote from Vladimir Solovyov. No, fear not, not a propagandist, but a 19th century Russian religious philosopher. But Russian again. Looking at this site, one cannot realize at once that it is the site of the Belarusan party, which is indicated in the official name "Belarus". So who heads such a strange political organization? Meet Oleg Romanov, member of the Council of the Republic, doctor of philosophical sciences, professor. In a sense, an educated, intelligent man. He was born in Hrodna and got higher education there. True, Romanov studied biology, but then he somehow got a new qualification and became a philosopher. Romanov started his professional career at Grodno University. The area of the philosopher's scientific interests is none other than "the problems of genesis, organization and prospects of development of East Slavic civilisation, classical and modern Russian philosophy, the fate of the state in the globalizing world". Oleg Romanov is a strong supporter of the "Russian world". Belarus is not actually mentioned in the titles of his works, they are exclusively about "Eastern Slavs" or Russia. "Imperial paradigm in the perspective of political development of the East Slavic peoples", "To the problem of spiritual and mental bases of economic activity of the East Slavic peoples", "Russian philosophy in the spiritual experience of the East Slavic peoples: past, present, future" - these are just some titles of the publications of this author. After working at Grodno University, Romanov was promoted and became rector of Polotsk University, where he is remembered for cleansing the university of ideologically incorrect teachers. Romanov fully supports the current illegitimate government in words. This is easy to understand from his statements about the coronavirus, the 2020 protests, and the 2021 migration crisis. However, for the time being, as long as Lukashenko is still sitting in his chair. But from Romanov's point of view, it is also clear that his main masters are not here, but far to the east, in the very heart of "Eastern Slavic civilization" and the "Russian world" that is Moscow. In addition to Romanov, the Supreme Politrad of "Belaya Rus" includes such well-known supporters of the ideas of "Russian world" and odious participants of programmes of Russian propaganda TV channels as Vadim Gigin, Grigory Azarenok and Alexander Shpakovsky. Vadim Gigin is a pro-governmental political scientist and historian, chairman of the board of the Belarusian society "Vedas" ["Knowledge"] and recently also the director of the National Library. Gigin has never made a secret of his pro-Russian views. Like Romanov, he is a supporter of the idea that Belarusians are part of the so-called trinity Russian nation, and that Belarus is the north-western region of historical Russia. This approach to the vision of history has a long tradition, since the times of the Russian Empire, and is called "Western Russism". Historian Gigin, as a true adherent of the "Russian world", considers our national hero Kastus Kalinovsky as a Polish terrorist, and sees the ideal of a wise state official in the Russian governor-general Mikhail Muravyov, who was called "the executioner" for his brutal suppression of the uprising of 1863-64. Gigin's approach to contemporary politics is much the same. He praises the Kremlin authorities and justifies Russian aggression against Ukraine. Gigin supports Russian narratives not only in words but also in deeds. For example, in the autumn of 2022, the propagandist visited the "referendum" in the so-called "Lugansk People's Republic" as an observer. The third character is disgusting in general, thanks to his out-of-place and boorish hysterical statements. This is Grigory Azarenok, a person who over the last three years has become a symbol of the most dirty and exaggerated Lukashenka's propaganda. Azarenok is a representative of a whole dynasty of propagandists. His father Yury became well-known thanks to the propaganda film "Hate. Children of Lies", where back in the 1990s, at the beginning of Lukashenko's rule, he slandered the Belarusian opposition figures using Goebbels' techniques, for which he even received a slap from Nikolai Statkevich himself. Apart from propaganda, Azarenok senior was also engaged in politics in those years, he was a member of the party "Belaya Rus". However, not the party in question, but another one, and its full name is "Slavic Council of Belaya Rus". This organization existed back in the 1990s and practiced the ideology of pan-Russianism. It is not difficult to understand that an apple does not roll far from an apple tree, and Grisha absorbed very specific political views of his father. Everything western, non-Russian, as well as Belarusian, is alien to Grigory, and everything light, pure and spiritual can come only from "the triune initial holy Russia". The fourth figure - Alexander Shpakovsky, who in the past considered himself a Belarusan nationalist or even a nazi, now promotes the same nazism, only under the Russian imperial flag. In particular, he together with another friend of the "Belaya Rus" polyparty - the main member of the Belarusian Republican Youth Union Aliaksandr Lukyanau - went to the Dubrava camp and brainwashed Ukrainian children with pro-Russian propaganda. Such "interesting" characters have gathered in the leadership of the party of power, established by Lukashenka. Thus, if you look closely, it becomes clear that Lukashenko's White Russia party is becoming a project of Moscow rather than a political support of the aging dictator. Therefore, as soon as the moment comes and the real power of illegitimate Lukashenko starts to turn into dust, it should be seized by these figures fed by Russian money. The tasks of these people are, firstly, to take power away from Lukashenko, secondly, to prevent its return to the people, and thirdly, to prepare the takeover of Belarus by Russia. The people who have created the so-called ruling party engage Belarusians, members of the so-called "party", in crimes against the Belarusian people. Under the aegis of the party of Lukashenko's supporters they have created an organization which will promote the interests of the Kremlin in our country. And these interests consist in the loss of Belarus' sovereignty and its involvement in the war.

More than 2,000, including some orphans, have been transported from Russian-occupied areas Original article: wsj.com WARSAW — Belarus, a staunch ally of Russia, has transported thousands of Ukrainian children — some of them orphans — to the country, where they were exposed to pro-Kremlin propaganda, an effort that underscores the former Soviet nation’s support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine. More than 2,000 children have been brought by rail from Russian-occupied areas in Ukraine to Belarus as part of an agreement between Russia and Belarus, according to a publicly available document from the Belarusian government as well as leaked documents from Russian Railways and Belaruskali, a Belarus company funding the effort. According to the documents, the children have been brought by rail to Belarus’s capital, Minsk, and then transported to camps on buses owned by soccer team Shakhtyor Soligorsk. The team, owned by Belaruskali Chief Executive Ivan Golovaty, won the Belarusian Premier League last year but was stripped of its title due to a match-fixing scandal. Belaruskali didn’t respond to requests for comment on the camps. The government of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, which has direct control over much of the state machinery in his country, didn’t respond to a request for comment. The press office of the soccer team didn’t respond to a request for comment. Belaruskali, a state-owned miner of the potassium-based fertilizer potash, has been sanctioned by the U.S. and the European Union and is the country’s biggest taxpayer. According to the leaked documents, the company spent millions of dollars to bring seven groups of 310 children each from Ukraine since spring 2022 to the company’s sanatorium at Dubrava, a children’s camp it owns in the south of Belarus, where they stayed between two and three weeks at a time. The Warsaw-based National Anti-Crisis Management Group, a Belarusian opposition think tank led by Pavel Latushka, deputy head of Belarus’s political opposition body in exile, got some of the details of the program from Russian Railways documents that were obtained by a hacker. The opposition group also obtained information from an internal document from Belaruskali and from an official inside the company. The Wall Street Journal has viewed those documents. Photos of the camp circulating on the social-media accounts of Belaruskali and the facilities hosting the children show that they were given basic arms training, met with Russian Orthodox priests and were regaled with flashy shows that glorified Russian President Vladimir Putin. In one video recorded in October and posted on the same social-media channels, two women entertain a group of children gathered in a small theater, praising the Kremlin leader while calling for the deaths of President Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The National Anti-Crisis Management Group established the identities of the children in the video using leaked information from officials inside the sanatoria, and Ukrainian orphanages identified some of the children as orphans from Ukraine. “So that Putin prospers and takes control of all of Ukraine,” one of the two women, holding a microphone under stage lights, said to the applause of the children. The transfer of orphans across borders without the permission of their home country’s government is illegal under international law. Moscow administers the occupied territories and has declared them part of Russia, but its claims aren’t recognized internationally. In the case of children who aren’t orphans, it couldn’t be determined whether their families consented to their transfer to Belarus. Ukraine says nearly 20,000 children have been taken from its territory by Russia since the start of the war, sometimes to camps in Russia. In some cases, children are returned to their families. The Ukrainian government says the camps in Russia are aimed at instilling pro-Moscow sentiment in the children. The Kremlin didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Neither did the Ukrainian ombudsman for human rights. Lithuania, which together with Poland has become a hub for the Belarusian opposition, has opened an investigation into the transfers of Ukrainian children to Belarus. Belaruskali has promoted the camps on its website and has said that they are health facilities for children, but according to internal company documents seen by the Journal, the amount of money spent per child for health needs was $0.20. Last September, Belaruskali’s website said the camp took 1,050 children under the age of 15 from eastern Ukraine’s Donbas area, including the occupied cities of Donetsk and Mariupol. In early April, the company’s website announced that more than 1,000 children from Donbas would come to the camps in Dubrava for sports, arts and “the tastiest Belarusian cuisine.” One group, numbering 307 children, was accompanied by 40 adults, according to the website. A document obtained by the opposition group shows an order bearing an electronic signature of Golovaty, who is also a member of Belarus’s parliament, to bring three groups of children from eastern Ukraine to the camp between April 3 and May 30. The document ordered the company’s financial director, Sergey Pinchuk, to find the money in the corporate budget to pay for the expenditures. The opposition group says the children—including 200 orphans—had been taken from 15 cities and towns throughout occupied Ukraine, including the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. The group identified individual children in videos of the camps and compared them with publicly available names of children in orphanages. The National Anti-Crisis Management Group says the Belarusian government also directly funds part of the effort. In late June, the National Anti-Crisis Management Group submitted evidence to the International Criminal Court, the international body that is trying Russian war crimes in Ukraine. That evidence detailed the process and timeline of the transfers of Ukrainian children to Belarus. The ICC didn’t respond to a request for comment. In March, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin, together with his commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, to face charges of unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Belarus recently attracted fresh Western scrutiny after Russia’s Wagner paramilitary group re-established itself in the country following its failed insurrection against Moscow’s military leadership. Russian soldiers also used Belarusian territory for Moscow’s initial push into Ukraine in February 2022, and Putin has said Moscow is basing tactical nuclear weapons in the country. The U.S. and Europe have slapped sanctions on Belarus for its support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Belaruskali was sanctioned in 2021 by the EU and the U.S. for its role in supporting Lukashenko’s regime. Those sanctions have effectively curbed all of Belaruskali’s sales abroad since the start of the war. The EU doesn’t sanction food and fertilizer, out of humanitarian concerns, but comprehensive Western financial, economic and transport sanctions have at times stymied what should be legitimate trade. More recently, some EU countries have been seeking a way to make it easier for Belaruskali to resume its fertilizer sales while still remaining under sanctions. However, that has been held up for months by Lithuania, which has cited the company’s role in the alleged transfer of Ukrainian children to Belarus.

Pavel Latushko dismantled lies in Lukashenka's interview with a pro-Russian propagandist wanted by the Security Service of Ukraine or SBU You can probably guess what I'm talking about. And if you don't – all the better. TV in Belarus has long ago ceased to be a source of useful information, having turned into a tool of 24-hour propaganda and incitement to hatred. This will definitely change. The mad dictator and his odious propagandists will remain in the past, which we will all remember with the words – never again. But to make it happen faster – we must fight. Including the flow of lies, with which they are trying to poison us and our loved ones. Lukashenko once again tried to uncover such a stream of unconcealed, impudent lies in his one and a half hour interview to the so-called "Ukrainian journalist", who is in fact a pro-Russian propagandist wanted by the Ukrainian Security Service. So what did Lukashenko lie about once again for an hour and a half? The first lie is the dictator's statement that he did not know and did not discuss with Putin the preparation of war against Ukraine. Let me just remind you that the joint military exercise of Belarus and Russia "Union determination 2022" was to end on 20 February. And the Russian group of troops was supposed to leave the territory of Belarus. However, they not only didn't end, but were extended. And the troops, which were supposed to leave our country along with equipment, as publicly promised by the late Minister Makei on 16 February, remained in Belarus. By the way, Khrenin's ministry officially announced that they would remain in Belarus as early as on 20 February. Although today Lukashenko lies that the Russian troops allegedly started to withdraw then. Allegedly, they were preparing to leave for the Far East. But only on 24 February, the whole group invaded Ukraine. Including from Belarus. And not just unimpeded, but with full infrastructural and logistical support of Lukashenko's regime. Which he was ready to provide. On Lukashenko's part, everything was ready for the access of Russian troops through the Belarus-Ukraine border and for its logistics support. It is all the more disgusting to listen to the dictator's arguments that the war could have been stopped. It really could have been stopped – if Lukashenko had not opened our border to the Russians. The border of a sovereign state obliged to protect it. But Lukashenko not only did not protect the border. But even on 23 February, that is, before the direct invasion, by his own admission, he allowed strikes on the territory of Ukraine. Allegedly – preventive. Allegedly, Ukraine was preparing to launch Point U missiles on the territory of Belarus. And allegedly these systems were destroyed "preventively" by missile strikes from our territory. The question arises – if the threat, which Lukashenko later told about, showing 4 positions on the map, was neutralized, i.e. no "Point U" threatened Belarus, why was the invasion of Ukraine from our territory allowed anyway? The answer is simple – Lukashenko is a liar. There was no threat. There was a planned attack, planned jointly by him and Russia, prepared and carried out under the cover of so-called allied exercises. Not to mention that there was no act of aggression on the part of Ukraine either. Therefore, the strikes from the territory of Belarus on 23 February could not be of a defensive nature. Which directly indicates that Lukashenko first committed an act of military aggression even before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Then he committed it again, having provided Belarusian territory for invasion, having provided infrastructure and rear of this invasion. And also – more than 800 missile strikes on Ukraine from the territory of Belarus. It's called "Sasha, will you back me up, please?". No, it's called complicity in the war. Conscious, voluntary. Planned. The second lie of Lukashenko is that the Belarusian military did not take part in the war. But maintenance of the Russian strike group is participation. The opening of the border for it by the State Border Committee is participation. Not to mention the fact that Lukashenko himself directly declared about the special operation by special forces on the territory of Ukraine for the alleged release of truckers captured there. That is, Lukashenko openly admitted that the Belarusian military were, were on the territory of Ukraine. Already in the course of the war. The third lie – Ukraine was the first to unleash war against Belarus. They arrested Belarusan cargoes, wagons with mineral fertilizers. They declared a blockade. And when did it happen? Was it not when from the territory of Belarus the Russian troops, which were let in and supported by Lukashenko's regime in everything, WERE invading Ukraine and fighting? When they organised genocide in the Kiev region? When they carved out Bucha, Irpin, Gostomel, Borodyanka? When missiles flew from the territory of Belarus to Ukraine, fighter jets took off and struck Ukraine. And Ukraine had to do what? Let Belarusian cargoes through? Maybe not to close the border with Belarus? After all, this is how the country that you, you Lukashenko, attacked should behave – right? And you keep on doing it. You keep doing it, you keep supporting the war, you keep producing weapons and ammunition for Russia? Train the Russian military on Belarusian firing ranges. Deploy Russian nuclear weapons and Wagner fighters. And participate in the deportation of Ukrainian children from the occupied territories? And at the same time, to lie about peace. To lie about love for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. This is the most despicable lie heard in the dictator's interview. Just like the lie that Putin is worried about Ukraine. The lie about "point operations". "Point operation" on the Mariupol Drama Theatre with a big sign saying "CHILDREN"? "Point operation" on the railway station in Kramatorsk? "Point operation" on shopping centers in Kiev, Kremenchuk? "Point operations" on residential neighborhoods? Maybe yesterday's ballistic missile strike on the Chernihiv Drama Theatre was also a "point operation"? Such "point operations", in which dozens of peaceful, civilian people are killed, are carried out by Russia in Ukraine almost every day. And Lukashenko justifies and supports it. The only truth that Lukashenko said during all these one and a half hours of lies is the following: "We will always help Russia. Only Belarus helps Russia so openly". But even here I have to correct him – not Belarus. But you and your criminal, lying and vile regime. And you know that you will have to answer for it all. Both for your words and your actions. And that's why you threaten. You threaten nuclear weapons. You threaten an unacceptable strike. You threaten the disappearance of Ukraine as a state. World war. And you're preparing for a new military exercise. "The largest military exercise", as your Ministry of Defence calls it. We remember very well how the previous one ended. "Peacemaker." Peace will indeed come to Ukraine. Along with victory. Russia and its puppet Lukashenko – will lose. As dishonorably as they are fighting. And then responsibility will inevitably come. Ukraine will be free. Belarus will be free. Truth will triumph over lies. Light will triumph over darkness. The evil empire and its dictators will remain in the past, which we will all remember, but remember with the words – never again.

Lukashenko reveals explosive details about the army The original article: merkur.de Minsk/Moscow - Poland is ceaselessly warning of an alleged threat from Belarus in the Ukraine war. "The security situation in the east has been unstable for a long time and Poland has to cope with a whole spectrum of threats from this direction," Deputy Foreign Minister Arkadiusz Mularczyk told Bild. Belarus: Putin ally does not want war with Ukraine, says expert. Recently, events came to a head: Not far from the militarily explosive Suwalki corridor between Poland, the Baltic States, Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, around 100 Wagner mercenaries were first sighted. In the past few days, hundreds of Wagner mercenaries then left Belarus unexpectedly after Yevgeny Prigozhin's people were said to have left for Belarus. But that's not all: according to a Minsk insider, it is not the Belarusian army, and certainly not Belarusian society, that has any interest in getting into a conflict with the Nato defence alliance or with Ukraine. This is what Belarusian opposition politician Pavel Latushka told IPPEN.MEDIA's fr.de. Furthermore, according to his information, Russia has hardly any troops stationed in the country. Are threats by Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko thus coming to nothing? Joint military training centres are currently being set up at the air base in Baranovichi and at the air defence base near Grodno in Zyabrovka. But: "Almost all Russian soldiers who trained in Belarus before the war have left the territory of Belarus," says Latushka. Vladimir Putin threatens Ukraine: But would Belarusian army not be ready for war? Is a threat scenario for Kiev from Belarus thus becoming obsolete? Even if Moscow strongman Vladimir Putin and his circle have repeatedly hinted at this since spring 2022? "As far as the army is concerned, there are different views. This is because the army is under a massive brainwashing attack (from the Minsk regime, ed.). If we talk about the special forces, they are for the most part ready to support Lukashenko, and possibly even to go to war against Ukraine," Latushka explains: "But if we talk about the regular armed forces, they are for the most part against the war. And as for the recruits: they come from a society that has an anti-war sentiment. That's why Lukashenko made the decision not to participate in the war, but to make the territory of Belarus available to Russian troops for military aggression against Ukraine - for missile attacks and air strikes.» "Lukashenko fears that at least part of the Belarusian army would oppose him and that this could lead to the fall of the regime". Pavel Latushka, Belarusian opposition activist at IPPEN.MEDIA Ukraine war: Alexander Lukashenko fears for his regime in Belarus, says expert Lukashenko did not dare to send troops across the Belarusian-Ukrainian border, the country's former culture minister (2009 to 2012) continues: "Not because he loves Ukraine and has a positive attitude towards Ukrainians. But only because he fears that at least part of the Belarusian army would oppose him and that this could lead to the fall of the regime. This is shown by the data of two sociological surveys conducted by analytical centres of the Belarusian intelligence service in 2022 within the army. These data are available to us. Russian influence on Belarus: Expert raises accusations against Putin's regime in Moscow. In his opinion, the Russians are allegedly interested in "the Belarusian state and nation ceasing to exist". Lukashenko is nothing more than a "puppet of the Kremlin" in this goal of Moscow, Latushka says in an interview with IPPEN.MEDIA's fr.de: "We are fighting for the existence of our state, for the existence of our nation, for the choice of Belarusians for Europe."