Because of mass repressions against independent trade unions in Belarus, Pavel Latushka considers it a priority to achieve the suspension of membership of pro-governmental trade unions in the ILO In connection with the large-scale repression launched against the independent trade union movement — searches in the office of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions, the Free Trade Union of Belarus, the Free Trade Union of Metallurgists, the Belarusian Trade Union of Radioelectronics, the detentions of the BKDP chairman Aliaksandr Yaroshuk, deputy chairman of the Belarusian Christian Democratic Party of Belarus Siarhei Antusevich, chairman of the Union of Metalworkers Aliaksandr Bukhvostau, chairman of the Free trade union of Belarus Mikalai Sharakh and other activists, the Coordination Council adopted by a majority vote the statement "To stop persecution of the Belarusian independent trade unions". As an addition to the statement Pavel Latushka initiated a proposal to apply to the International Labor Organization with a request to suspend the membership of the Belarusian pro-governmental trade unions, as they in no way protect the rights of workers in Belarus. This addendum was also supported by the Coordination Council vote. The NAM also calls on the international democratic community to publicly protest strongly against the gross human rights violations in Belarus and to assess the actions of the Belarusian authorities, to use all possible means to put pressure on the regime and to impose additional sanctions for violations of trade union and labor rights in Belarus.

Today, the Estonian Parliament and Latvian Sejm were the first in the world to adopt extremely important political and legal decisions and officially recognise Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine as genocide. This is a huge step forward in bringing military aggressors to justice internationally. The National Anti-Crisis Management welcomes this decision by the Estonian and Latvian parliamentarians. However, it is crucial that the Latvian Sejm’s decision already raises the question of the Lukashenko regime’s co-responsibility for military aggression and crimes against Ukraine. — The Sejm expresses its conviction that ALL those who have committed crimes against humanity and war crimes will be brought to justice. — The Latvian Parliament strongly condemns the military aggression and the large-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, carried out with the support and participation of the Belarusian regime. — And calls on the Euro-Atlantic community and its partners to urgently impose comprehensive sanctions against the Russian Federation, as well as to adopt equivalent decisions and impose equivalent sanctions against Belarus as an accomplice to the Russian military aggression. Earlier, on 19 April, our team held consultations with the deputy foreign ministers of Estonia and Lithuania and the Latvian ambassador, during which the partners indicated that they viewed the actions of the Lukashenko regime in the war against Ukraine as complicity in aggression and advocated maximum synchronisation of sanctions against the Lukashenko regime and Russia. We will continue to make every effort and use all our international contacts to ensure that the Lukashenko regime is officially recognised as a military aggressor and an accomplice to genocide in Ukraine — on a par with Russia. This issue will be raised in all upcoming meetings of the NAM team. Accountability of the Lukashenko regime is imminent. The importance of support from democratic countries for the efforts of Belarusian society to de-occupy and preserve the sovereignty and independence of Belarus was noted. The meeting with a representative of the German Foreign Ministry is a continuation of the consultations the NAM team is holding with the foreign ministries of various countries. Pavel Latushka has already met with ministers, deputy ministers and representatives of the foreign ministries of Sweden, Poland, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Luxembourg, France and the UK.

What role does Belarus play in the war against Ukraine? The question of Belarus' involvement, role and status in the war against Ukraine unleashed by Russia is today not only the subject of much debate, but also of outright political speculation. The so-called "government" of Belarusian dictator Lukashenka, who recently claimed that the first "preventive strike " [1] against Ukraine was launched from the territory of Belarus back on 23 February at 23:00 [2] and that without Belarus the Russian invasion of Ukraine would not have been possible [3], today it is making the exact opposite statement ("we were dragged into this war " [4]) and sending letters to the foreign ministries of Western countries denying any "insinuations that Belarus is in any way involved in the hostilities in Ukraine " [5]. Why Lukashenko’s illegitimate "government" is doing this is clear to us. They want to avoid responsibility, to get the sanctions lifted or, at least, to avoid imposing "mirror" sanctions against Belarus — similar to those imposed against Russia. But it is not only Lukashenko’s regime that denies Belarus' participation in the military aggression. On March 13, the question whether Belarus is or is not taking part in the war against Ukraine was considered in the report of the OSCE Mission "On violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine since February 24, 2022" [6]. The rapporteurs reached the following conclusion: "Although Belarus allows its territory to be used to launch Russian attacks on Ukraine, the Mission considers that as of 1 April it is not a party to the International armed conflict, as long as it does not itself commit acts of violence or other acts that would constitute direct participation in the hostilities by persons attributable to Belarus". "Хотя Беларусь позволяет использовать свою территорию для нападения России на Украину, Миссия считает, что по состоянию на 1 апреля она не является стороной Международного вооруженного конфликта, если сама не совершает актов насилия или иные действия, представляющие собой непосредственное участие в боевых действиях лиц, приписываемых Беларуси". What objectives the rapporteurs were pursuing in making this assessment is anyone’s guess. However, the consonance of this assessment with the "official" position of the Lukashenko regime cannot but be alarming and distrustful. Is there then a truly convincing answer to the question of Belarus' role in the war? Certainly, yes. The Western and Ukrainian intelligence certainly have the answer they are looking for. Otherwise, questions would already be raised about the professional level of the intelligence officers. But agree that it is absurd to doubt their professionalism, given the high quality of the data they provided on the eve of the war and are providing now. Intelligence has an answer to this question — and so does the political leadership of both Ukraine and its allied countries in the West. For us it is obvious that the uncertainty of Belarus' participation or non-participation in the war is politically motivated. But we, democratic forces and people of Belarus, still need an answer. After all, the status and future of our country as a result of the war in Ukraine depends on it. It is also a matter of principle for us to hold the Lukashenko regime accountable for its complicity in the war and for war crimes committed during the war. We will therefore try to put the question of Belarus' role in the war another way: who pushed the button? Everything is very simple. The facts of the numerous missile launches on Ukraine from the territory of Belarus [7] are proven, obvious and beyond doubt. As is the fact that many of these missiles have hit their targets and killed Ukrainian citizens. And it does not matter at all whose missiles they were — Russian or Belarussian. What matters is who pushed the button. If a Belarusian soldier did it even once, it means that Belarus is directly involved in the war and is killing Ukrainians. It means that the OSCE is fundamentally misjudging the actions of the Belarusian side in order to deliberately mislead the public. It means that Ukraine and the West deliberately conceal the fact of Belarus' involvement in the war. But it also means that Belarus should bear full responsibility for its participation in the war against Ukraine, including reparations. If all the missile launches were exclusively carried out by Russian servicemen — then a slightly different question arises. How did Russian troops get the opportunity to use the territory and infrastructure of Belarus to wage war against Ukraine? How is it possible that a country, which is not involved in the war, became a springboard for it? The answer is obvious — Belarus has been subjected to Russian occupation. And given the fact that neither Lukashenko’s "government" nor the Belarusian army in any way prevented the foreign army from carrying out military actions against Ukraine from the territory of our country, we can conclude that this occupation occurred with their full connivance and consent. We can state that in this case the functions of the occupation administration are vested in the puppet "government" of Lukashenko, who is fully under the control of the Kremlin. And hence all responsibility for complicity in the Russian aggression against Ukraine lies with Lukashenko’s puppet regime. This means that the question of Belarus' involvement in the war should in principle be posed differently — its accomplice is not Belarus itself, but the Kremlin occupation administration led by Lukashenko. This is exactly the question we democratic forces in Belarus are asking — Lukashenko’s puppet government is as guilty as Russia for unleashing the war against Ukraine. It is it that allowed and facilitated Russia’s occupation of Belarus and thereby provided Putin with territory and all the necessary infrastructure to move and deploy his troops, to carry out missile and air strikes on Ukrainian territory, and to provide logistical support, maintenance and medical care for the Russian army. This means that the entire international community, including Ukraine, has the right to demand immediate withdrawal of Russian occupying forces from the territory of Belarus, i.e. to de-occupy it, and also to bring the Lukashenko puppet regime to justice for military aggression against Ukraine on a par with Russia. It also means fully synchronising the sanctions for military aggression and applying them equally to Russia and to the Lukashenko regime — and using them as a tool to force the withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied Belarus, among other things, as a critically necessary step to end the war and ensure regional security and future independence of Belarus. Finally, this means that the Lukashenko puppet regime must be given a proper international legal assessment, completely stripped of its recognition and political subjectivity, and consequently excluded from any international configurations, including peace negotiations. And Belarus' participation in any international organisations must be suspended until the occupation is ended and a globally recognised democratic government emerges. However, this can only be achieved if there is international legal recognition of Russia’s occupation of Belarus. So who pushed the button and what is Belarus' role in the war against Ukraine? Belarusian military (that means Belarus is a direct participant in the war) or Russian military (that means the country is under Russian occupation and the military aggressor is not Belarus, but Lukashenko’s occupation administration, which is fully controlled by the Kremlin and acts in the interests of Russia)? The Ukrainian and Western intelligence undoubtedly have an answer to this question. And that means that the leadership of Ukraine and Western countries must have it. And we, Belarusians, are waiting for an answer — a clear and unambiguous one, which will put an end to political speculations and flirting of the West with Lukashenko’s regime. An answer, which will determine the status and role of Belarus in the war against Ukraine and will directly point to concrete military aggressors. The time has come to call things by their proper names. After all, it directly depends on whether ALL those responsible for the bloody war in the heart of Europe, without exception, will be brought to justice. The future of OUR country and the security of the entire region depends on it. Not only Putin and his puppet Lukashenko, but probably the West itself, are playing with this.

NAМ applied to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe with a demand to deprive representatives of the Lukashenko regime of the right to attend PACE meetings Back in the early days of the war the NAМ appealed to the headquarters of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to deprive the delegation of the so-called Lukashenko’s Parliament of the right to be an observer at PACE. The NAМ head Pavel Latushkа has been informed that the office of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has suspended all relations of the Assembly with the Lukashenko regime, which is a co-aggressor in the war against Ukraine. The NAМ team continues to work to strip the Lukashenko regime of its right to represent Belarus in the international arena. It’s time for action!

Pavel Latushka in consultations with Matthias Lüttenberg, Commissioner for Eastern Europe of the German Foreign Ministry, discussed a possible reaction to the address by the so-called Foreign Minister of the Lukashenka regime, Vladzimir Makei. The German Foreign Ministry is critical of the declarative statements made by representatives of the regime. It was noted that the regime was responsible for the mass repressions committed before the war in Belarus, as well as for complicity in the aggression against Ukraine. Pavel Latushka separately drew the interlocutor’s attention to the need for the European Union to react to the ongoing and growing repression against the Belarusian civil society, detention of representatives of trade unions and activists who oppose the war in Ukraine. The German Foreign Ministry said that it had already taken appropriate actions via diplomatic channels in connection with the arrests of representatives of independent trade unions. The NAM head drew attention to the fact that the EU had reduced its attention to the issue of the regime’s responsibility for the ongoing repressions, as well as to the possibility to initiate additional sanctions against the Lukashenko regime. The interlocutors agreed that the current actions of the Lukashenka regime, which provided the territory of Belarus to carry out aggression against Ukraine, as well as suppression of civil society in Belarus, posed a challenge to the preservation of the country’s independence.

About perception of Belarusians and propaganda in Belarus 1. The problem of obtaining European visas by Belarusians should be considered much more broadly:«How is Belarus assessed today through the prism of the activities of the Lukashenko regime?». 2. Unfortunately, today the interpretation of Belarusians looks like we are being put on the same level as the citizens of Russia. And these are the results of what Lukashenko is doing. It’s his fault. Therefore, the task for us is to separate, in people’s mind, the actions of the regime from the approaches of the Belarusian society. 3. Our society inside Belarus is like in the gas chamber of Nazi Germany. The gas is supplied not to kill, but to stupefy. And this gas is propaganda resources that are being used in Belarus against freedom of thought and self-expression, in order to impose propaganda of the Russian world. This gas supply is carried out at the expense of propaganda funds that are allocated from the Russian budget in order to make Belarusians part of this Russian world as soon as possible. About the government 1. The creation of a government in exile is not an initiative, it is a political decision. To date, there are active consultations on the establishment of the provisional government as the national authority of the Republic of Belarus. 2. When today in Belarus, the temporarily occupied territory, there is a government of Lukashenko that has usurped power, which is a puppet government and implements only the interests of the Russian Federation and the interests of preserving the instrument of power in the hands of the usurper, then we must talk about the creation of a real people’s government that would pursue the interests of Belarusians. 3. The main thing is that this government should represent a wide range of political forces, people who are acting today in the interests of the independence of the Republic of Belarus. 4. I do not believe that Lukashenko will live to the end of his rule in the position he usurped. There are two scenarios: Putin will remove him (forcibly or in a pseudo-reformist way) or Belarusians will do it, including those who went to fight for Ukraine. There will be a situation when it will be necessary to take power in hands. Either the Russian generals will take it, or the Belarusian people, who must be represented by someone, will do it. Today there is a potential opportunity to create such a structure — a government, which will be recognized de jure when it is on the territory of Belarus, de facto this government can be recognized almost immediately as soon as it begins to communicate with other foreign states. Then the voice of Belarusians will be clearer, more substantial, understandable and to some extent binding for another country to listen more carefully and make decisions in the interests of the Belarusian people. 5. When the government is created, a very important moment will arise, we will be able to say: "We are separating the Belarusian society from the regime. We have our own government, which represents the Belarusian people, who are oppressed in Belarus, who are imprisoned, tortured, expelled from the country." 6. Such an institution as the government is necessary. But what is very important is not the formality of its creation, but who will be in it (there should be a wide range of political forces, people who are acting in the interests of Belarus' independence), what program it will adopt, and whether it will be a program of action, and not empty chatter. We need very clear and specific points that need to be implemented and that will be implemented. This is the only way it can find its place in the sun. About the independence of Belarus 1. Our national idea is the state of the Republic of Belarus, it is the survival, further existence and development of the Belarusian nation. 2. For us today, the most important threat to the security and sovereignty of Belarus is the presence of Russian armed forces on the territory of Belarus. But this is not just a question of today. The issue of occupation actually began to advance progressively from the moment Lukashenko usurped power in the Republic of Belarus. 3. He [Lukashenko] has come under the full control of the Kremlin, which is growing with such force that today he has actually lost much of his subjectivity. 4. How does Lukashenko promote the interests of the Belarusian people? Does he create economic conditions for the development of the country? No. Does he create opportunities for a person’s self-realization? No. Does he respect human rights? No. Do we have a future under such leadership? No. Is the war in Ukraine our interest? No. Is it our interest to provide the territory of Belarus for aggression? No. The answer to all questions is "No". 5. Lukashenko is violating everything that is possible today. Starting from basic national acts and ending with international law (the Constitution of Belarus, the treaty of friendship, cooperation and partnership with Ukraine, etc.). And he does this not in the interests of the Belarusian people, but only in the interests of the Kremlin and his own interests. 6. For us, the main issue is de-occupation of Belarus, to achieve the withdrawal of Russian troops from our territory. It meets the interests of the Belarusian people, it meets the interests of regional security, the security of Ukraine and it also meets the interests of the EU security. 7. Belarussian school, language, cinema, theater are being destroyed in Belarus. Where is our right to exist? For Russia, Belarus does not exist as a state. 8. About the possibility of a dialogue with Lukashenko: "I don’t believe that Lukashenko will release all political prisoners, that he will restore independent media, NGOs. Only the non-existence of Lukashenko in power gives us a reason to change the situation. To do this, we need social sanctions, political restrictions, it is necessary to raise the question of Lukashenko’s criminal responsibility for crimes in Ukraine. One of two facts is enough to charge Lukashenko: Belarusian servicemen are participating in the war on the territory of Ukraine, Ukraine itself speaks about this, as well as the fact that providing the territory of Belarus for aggression is also aggression. We should not forget that Putin’s only ally is Alexander Lukashenko”. 9. Belarusian volunteers who are fighting for the independence of Ukraine are heroes, they are heroes of the Belarusian nation, they today are trying to significantly change this negative perception of Belarusians in Europe. They risk their lives to show that Belarusians are not with Lukashenko, Belarusians are not with Putin, Belarusians are for the independence of Ukraine and for the independent Republic of Belarus.

Interview by Pavel Latushka to "Radio Free Europe Premium" on April 13, 2022 Prague The ceremony commemorating the victims of the Buchenwald concentration camp resulted in another criminal case being opened against you. Tell us how it happened and how symbolic it is that the white-red-white flag from Belarus was hanging in Buchenwald There was an invitation to participate in the ceremony, including the reading of the text, one of the fragments of the Buchenwald Prisoners' Oath, and the laying of wreaths. Representatives of civil society from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine were invited to the ceremony. The wreath, as it was written in the invitation, will have a national ribbon of white-red-white color, which the foundation itself proactively ordered. Later, in preparation for the ceremony, it turned out that the flag on the flagpole was the state flag, and it was proposed to change it to a white-red-white flag, which happened. Because it is the flag of free Belarus, the flag of New Belarus, it is our historical symbol. I think it is a very important decision of the Fund and we, as democratic forces of Belarus, supported it. The subsequent reaction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus was predictable. It is important to know that the flag of the BSSR was created in 1951 in Stalin’s time. The white-red-white flag is the flag of the Belarusian Democratic Republic. One of the creators of this flag, Claudius Duzh-Dushevsky, was a prisoner of a concentration camp during World War II for saving Jews. To say that this flag is connected to Nazism is an absolute lie. The reaction of the German ambassador surprised me. I would like to ask about your reaction as a diplomat to the reaction of a German diplomat when he actually apologized to Alexander Lukashenko’s representatives. I consider, not as a diplomat, but as a politician, the actions of the German ambassador to Belarus to be erroneous. In fact, it was an action organized by propaganda, organized by the Liberal Democratic Party of Gaidukevich. The persons who took part in this action were brought there, the propaganda channels. Channels that show the democratic forces of Belarus as criminal forces. When we are shown with gallows on our necks, with a noose around our necks. When it is said that Nazis are operating in Ukraine; that Russian troops are the troops-liberators. And that’s when the German ambassador comes out and apologizes. Could he apologize for the 1,120 political prisoners who are sitting in jail? Maybe we have heard the German ambassador’s voice in defense of the 50,000 people arrested in Belarus? Maybe we have heard his voice of condemnation that missiles are flying from Belarus into Ukraine and killing Ukrainian civilians; that tanks are crossing the state border? Maybe we’ve heard his condemnation of the planes, the helicopters that have launched and killed Ukrainians? I have never heard such a thing from the German ambassador, so it comes as a surprise to me. I hope that the German government will respond appropriately to this. Because there is an inconsistent policy here. We know that even before the war, the German government was considering sending a new German ambassador to present his credentials to Alexander Lukashenko. And I had meetings in Berlin in this regard. Germany is a leading country. A strong country, politically and economically. And it needs to finally take a clear, clear and unambiguous position. Is it possible for Belarusian democratic forces to represent Belarus more broadly, for example, by participating in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine? I think we must make a fundamental decision for ourselves in what status we will represent Belarus in these negotiations. Yes, of course, today we understand that Lukashenko is not the legitimate president of Belarus, he has usurped power. He has used for this purpose the force of suppression of all protests, human rights and freedoms. And he holds this power by force. He does not represent the interests of Belarus, he is a puppet, used by the Kremlin in its own interests. The fact that he supports the war in Ukraine violates the Constitution on friendship and cooperation with Ukraine. It does not correspond to the interests of the Belarusian people. Therefore, to talk about who could potentially represent Belarus at these negotiations, it is certainly the democratic forces. And this option cannot be ruled out, but still. Democratic forces are something general that may not be formalized as institutions. And I again raise the question of what we have been talking about for these one and a half years — that it is necessary to make a decision and create national authorities as bodies that represent the real interests of the Belarusans. This is a difficult political decision that can be implemented today, unfortunately, outside of Belarus. But it is a basis so that in the future we could ensure the preservation of the independence and development of the state of the Republic of Belarus. This is an important, major political decision to be taken. If we do not take it, then we’ll be in this process for a very long time, hoping that the situation will resolve itself. The first thing we do. We have now started a campaign "Putin's puppet, Alexander Lukashenko, must be punished. We say that Lukashenko is Putin’s puppet, and this campaign was launched in London. A number of publications have also appeared in the Italian press. We are communicating this position to all foreign ministries. The NAU has initiated working consultations with as many foreign ministries as possible. Consultations have already taken place with the Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Czech Deputy Foreign Minister, the Lithuanian Deputy Foreign Minister, representatives of the leaders of Latvia, Luxembourg and France. All this is done in order to convey the position of democratic forces of Belarus on everything that is happening today in our country. To convey the position that Lukashenko is, under international law, an accomplice to aggression, because he has provided the territory of Belarus for missile and air strikes on Ukraine. He provides the entire military infrastructure, helps materially and logistically. We have received information that even ammunition from military depots in Belarus has been provided. Lukashenko is a co-aggressor, it would be a mistake to share the responsibility of Putin and Lukashenko. It would be a strategic mistake that the European Union made in 2020, guided by it in 2021, and it cannot be repeated at this particular time. The next thing we do at the NAM (National Anti-Crisis Management) is our project of de-occupation of Belarus. We regard Belarus as temporarily occupied territory. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are on the territory of Belarus, we know how they behave in the Brest and Gomel regions. They are not subject to the legislation of Belarus, Lukashenko cannot give them any instructions today. In fact, Belarus is in the status of temporary occupation. Recognition of this status guarantees the territorial integrity of Belarus and gives us very serious arguments not to lift sanctions against the Russian Federation until the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation let go of the territory of Belarus. We are well aware that internal protests with Russian armed forces in Belarus will be much more difficult, they will be difficult to implement. Therefore, this is one of the key points we are dealing with now. Lukashenko should sit in the dock, as well as representatives of the Russian regime. There is much debate about the collective guilt of the Belarusians for Belarus' complicity in the war. How do you look at this question? This is a difficult question. From one point of view, the recognition of Belarus as temporarily occupied territory means the position that Belarus can avoid the compensation that will be paid to Ukraine from the Russian Federation. I would not like to talk about material values when people are killed, children, women, just Ukrainians are killed on the territory of Ukraine. Of course there is an understanding of the collective responsibility of the Belarusian people, so it was very important for us not to allow the troops of Belarus to enter the territory of Ukraine. I characterized it as a historical catastrophe for relations between the Belarusian and Ukrainian people; it cannot be allowed. Even though the troops did not enter, we already see the consequences. In Ukraine, for example, the renaming of subway stations is initiated; the right to study Belarusian literature is cancelled; the recognition of higher education diplomas is revoked. It is necessary to separate the actions of the Lukashenko regime. Because this is not a war between Belarus and Belarusians, this is a war of the Lukashenko regime. It is a war between Russia and the Russians who support Putin’s actions. Most Belarusians are against it and show it through their actions. In fact, a National Liberation Movement has been created. The guys who are now fighting in Ukraine — they are fighting for the independence of Ukraine and Belarus. Guerrillas who go out to fight in the raids are also part of the movement. Cyber partisans, volunteers who help those who have to leave Ukraine. Samizdat, protest actions, a coalition of protest yards. And glory to these people who are doing it. It’s all together effectively a National Liberation Movement. It may not be labeled on such a large scale, but the fact that we have to move in that direction, I’m sure. And it’s also a political decision that democratic forces need to make. If we speak about the recognition of the democratic forces of Belarus abroad, a dualism of power must arise. When it does not exist — who can participate in negotiations? Lukashenko? What guarantees will he seek? He will seek only self-survival, in order to preserve the power, which he himself has usurped. He will not act in the interests of Belarus. When an institution of power in exile emerges, it means we can ask a broader question, i.e. we can block all possible foreign policy contacts of the Lukashenko regime and exclude it from international organizations. This is a decision that is overripe, not that it is not ripe. It has to be taken. On the other hand, we know that just a few days ago, Vladimir Makei, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, implementing Lukashenko’s instructions, sent a letter to the foreign ministries of the European Union, the United States and Great Britain. It says that the participation of Belarus in the war against Ukraine is an insinuation. That is, the Lukashenko regime does not sleep, it uses the channels of the intelligence services. Because diplomats do not talk, the regime is still in isolation. And they go out to communicate, they try to prove to the West: "No, we have nothing to do with this. As if the whole West went blind, as if they closed their eyes. When I tell the representatives, I will not name which respected countries, that Lukashenko himself admitted that the first missile strike was launched from the territory of Belarus at 23:00 on February 23, it comes as a surprise to them. I wonder: what do diplomats of the Western countries of Belarus do? What is the German embassy in Belarus doing when their ambassador apologized. For what? How does he inform Mrs. Berbok, the Minister of Foreign Affairs? I have a question when one of the Foreign Ministers tells me that we will keep the Belarusian embassy here in order to get information about what’s going on in Belarus. Do you really understand anything in diplomacy? So you will be informed by Belarusian diplomats of the regime about what is going on in Belarus? Well, then you will be blind and deaf. Western diplomats, wake up! The strategic mistake that has been made for five years is being repeated. I have been part of this process; I know how it happens. And you are now buying this bogus coin from Lukashenko’s side. According to what we got during last week’s Security Council meeting, Lukashenko instructed intelligence to go out to all foreign policy contacts. The word "political prisoner" was heard. Lukashenka wants to repeat the history of trade with political prisoners. I am grateful, for example, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, who told me clearly that their policy would not change. Two years ago they refused from contacts and they have a very clear, real understanding of what is going on in Belarus. Do we believe in the story that Lukashenko will release 1120 political prisoners tomorrow? I do not believe it. I would like Statkevich, Babariko, Tikhanovski to be free. It would just be easier for me as a human being. These are the allies that would be together and we could fight. Do I believe that? No, because I don’t believe Lukashenko. He won’t do it, he will be afraid. Do we believe that he will restore the 600 non-governmental organizations? When did Makei say that we would destroy all civil society? You’re reading letters from Makei now, and the German ambassador goes to Makei regularly, conducts some confidential negotiations. Do you believe that? I don’t believe it. Can we imagine that he will allow political parties to operate, that we will have elections on a competitive basis? Unfortunately, there is also a part of democratic forces in Belarus that is trying to sell the idea to the West: "let's lower the degree of relations with Lukashenko, let’s try to negotiate, let’s come to the 25th year and go to the elections". Who believes in the fact that after yesterday I get a call from Minsk and a man is summoned to the KGB for signing for Babariko? Who believes that in 2025 the Belarusians will sign for an alternative candidate and not be afraid? I don’t. I say to western politicians, let us proceed from the basic estimation of this situation: what is possible, what is real, what is not, and let us build our strategy proceeding from that. Is the voice of Belarus' democratic society heard? We are doing everything to make it heard. We are communicating; we have sent letters to all foreign ministers. We have proposed to hold working consultations at the level of foreign ministries in the very near future. We proposed to hold working consultations at the level of foreign affairs departments in the very next days in order to convey to them the position of misunderstanding in the Belarusian society concerning the unequal assessment of Lukashenko’s actions. So far, the thesis that Lukashenko is an accomplice to war crimes has not been raised. Yes, it was spelled out in certain documents of the European Union when adopting the initial package of sanctions. But again, it was not spelled out the way it should be. And the question is, what follows? Do you enter into communication or not? Unfortunately, there are signals like that. I hope that these are just signals, this illusion that it is possible to negotiate, just won’t be demanded. Because history has shown us too many lessons, both from Belarus after 2020, and from Ukraine today. It is impossible to engage in self-deception. In fact, Western politicians can probably learn from us how to fight for democracy and human rights. Democracy and human rights and freedom have a price. Does the European Union have to pay for this? Probably yes, because these are values of principle for them. The Belarusian and Ukrainian people, what do they pay for it? With their lives and health of their citizens, who are being killed and political prisoners jailed. Europe is afraid to pay with money; it is discussing all the time. Do we want to pay with our lives? No. Does Europe want to pay with money? No. But you know what the difference is? It’s a value difference and a material difference. So maybe it’s time, Europe, for us to teach you what values are? How do Belarusian embassies in the world work now? Questions of Belarusian citizens are not solved there, tell us what you know about this situation? The embassies are completely isolated, there are no communications of a political nature, economic ties have simply stopped, no investor will invest in Belarus now. We know that business relocation is taking place. One of the projects that our National Anti-Crisis Management team is running is "Not a cent for the war." We offer businesses not to leave Belarus, we offer businesses to stop, to suspend relations with Belarus, when through taxes they finance Lukashenko and finance all this military apparatus of suppression and including the war against Ukraine. So embassies do not do economics, do not do politics, do not do culture, because no one will help them now. In fact, consular functions are performed. We know that the Belarusian diaspora that has left now, it is limited in many ways and is not ready to go to embassies because it fears persecution and delays in processing documents. We are trying to find more understanding among the governments of the European Union as to how to solve the problem of the Belarusians. Unfortunately, we see that it is very difficult, the reaction is not quite adequate. This is also our problem, also a challenge. Have we forgotten 2020? Have we forgotten that the Belarusians are still fighting? Forgive me for addressing European politicians today, I am no longer a diplomat. I am a politician. As someone who has had eight criminal cases, one of which is the death penalty, I have the right to ask this question. On behalf of Viktor Babariko, Nikolay Statkevich, Pavel Severinets, Sergei Tihanovsky. I have the right. They cannot, I can. And that is why I ask: why are Belarusians treated this way in Belarus? Where is the value understanding of human rights and freedoms? I have a question to Andrei Dapkiunas, Ambassador of Belarus in Vienna. Who was my friend, who is one of Yanka Kupala’s relatives. And what does he do today? Is he engaged in securing independence? I talked to several ambassadors as the war broke out. They all said to me, "Well, you see, Pavel Pavlovich, what we are doing now is defending the country’s independence. How are you defending it when Russian troops are on the territory of Belarus? When the entire image, the entire reputation of the Belarusian people, the state of the Republic of Belarus, has been destroyed? What are you defending? Do as Natalia Khvostova, Consul General of the Consulate General in Munich did, what a deed it is. She is a woman, a mother, alone, but she took this step. And you? You’re just weak. What do you believe in now? What gives you hope? I am a strong person. Thanks to God, thanks to my parents, who brought me up that way. I will hold out, I believe in victory. Today we met with the Belarusians in the Czech Republic, and I said that I would fight as long as I have strength and health. Because if I don’t do it, who will? I am not unique, I am one of the "ones". Out of thousands, out of millions. Each of us must fight. I believe that Belarus has good prospects for an independent, free and democratic country on the map of Europe. As a friend of mine said, "Well, we are such a unique country! It’s a pity Korotkevich once wrote in "The spikes under your sickle": "May you have the worst government in the world! I believe that we will have a country, a state, and a better boss. Maybe not the worst, but certainly better.

The NAM deputy head Vladimir Astapenko in an interview to Malanka Live European politicians have already repeatedly stated that there can be no negotiations with Lukashenko in the current situation. Today, when the regime promotes aggression against Ukraine and has committed numerous crimes not only against its own people, but also against humanity, Lukashenko is considered completely incapable; he is toxic for any politician. By making his territory available for aggression, Belarus has become an accomplice to aggression under international law. Lukashenko did not dare to give the order for the Belarusian armed forces to enter the Ukraine, because the morale of the army was far from what was necessary to wage war, our soldiers were not and could not have been motivated. They would rather have dropped their weapons or surrendered, and there was also a high probability that they could have turned around and gone the other way. The Belarusian people and the democratic forces have much credit for the fact that Lukashenko was forced to refuse to make such a decision. Ukraine has to cover its northern border, weakening its important eastern and southern directions, because the Belarusian border was already "transparent" to a large number of Russian tanks, which entered Ukraine unimpeded and in much smaller numbers returned. Today, the territory of Belarus is at the mercy of the occupying forces, with which the puppet government is closely cooperating. Acknowledging this fact means that the occupying authorities have no right to take decisions that would change the legal status of the seized territory and must leave it at a certain point. It is important to promote this topic at an international level. We must demand the withdrawal of Russian troops, we must insist that Belarus remains an independent and sovereign state, and that the people of Belarus have the opportunity to elect legitimate authorities for themselves in fair elections. In this regard there is no place for puppet governments.

The NAM lawyer Artsiom Proskalovich hosted a discussion with Ekaterina Deikalo on Svaboda Premium on the topic "Aggressor — Belarus or Lukashenko?" Following the principles developed in international law over the past decades makes it difficult to respond to the current challenges and threats the world is facing. There is a lot of talk now about hybrid warfare, hybrid propaganda, we can also talk about the hybrid occupation of Belarus. Lukashenko is acting either in agreement with Russia or under coercion. The Kremlin allowed him to repress the Belarusians, but deprived him of powers in the military sphere — it is in line with the concept of occupation. This is a non-military occupation. Today the civil administration in Belarus is acting solely in the interests of the occupying country and to the detriment of national interests. Democratic forces promote the thesis about the occupied country, so that the Belarusian people are not responsible for the actions of the Lukashenko regime. Belarus was occupied before it became an accomplice to aggression, therefore all claims should be made against Lukashenko and his administration, appointed by the occupying country. The status of Belarus as an occupied country would prevent discrimination against Belarusians living abroad, as well as guarantee the same level of sanctions against the Belarusian regime as against the Russian one, which would eliminate loopholes through which Russia could circumvent them. It would also give grounds to demand that the Kremlin withdraw its occupation troops from the territory of Belarus, rather than engage in pointless dialogue with Lukashenko.

A working group of democratic forces under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Poland, which includes the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the Center for Belarusian Solidarity and the National Anti-Crisis Management, met on 14 April. The Ministry confirmed the changes to the current legislation. Humanitarian residence permits and humanitarian visas will be issued to all needy citizens of Belarus, regardless of whether they arrived in Poland from Ukraine after February 24, or came to the country for other reasons. The main objective is to help Belarusians who fled the war in Ukraine. It will take about 2 months to develop and establish procedures for issuing humanitarian visas in Poland and for issuing humanitarian residence permits. These documents will be issued not only in Warsaw, but also in other Polish cities. On 15 April, Andrzej Duda has signed amendments to the law that will make it possible for Belarusians to obtain humanitarian residence permits and humanitarian visas in Poland.

The issues discussed with representatives of the Department of International Relations Zuzanna Pszczykowska and Marta Uzdowska-Lys focused primarily on the possibilities of implementing cultural projects of Belarusian artists in exile. They also touched upon the issue of destruction of tangible cultural heritage in Ukraine during the war and intangible cultural heritage of the Belarusians during the occupation of our country. Plans were made for joint Belarusian-Ukrainian-Polish cultural projects in the near future.

The NAM lawyer Artsiom Proskalovich spoke on Malanka Live about the renewed mass repression in Belarus The repression has resumed because the regime is trying to counteract the anti-war movement, which is very active in Belarus. We can see that the incident with the shooting of partisans on the railway was not given any attention at the Security Council meeting, although usually exposing conspiracies and detaining "extremists" is the No. 1 topic at such events. The regime is afraid to talk about it, they avoid airing these facts in the state media, because they are afraid to contribute to a new wave of struggles and protests. It is Lukashenko who lays down the information emphasis in the propaganda agenda. If he does not raise such an issue, it means he does not want to draw attention to the fact that there is a partisan war in Belarus against the occupation and the regime that has usurped the power. The fact that this is being hushed up gives grounds to believe that the Belarusian people are doing everything right and pose a real threat to the regime. The MIA, KGB and GUBOPIK continue their punitive mission and the shocking footage of shot knees is their revenge for not having enough time to prevent all the actions on the railway. No worth saying that the release of political prisoners is on the regime’s agenda. The release of political prisoners has always been part of the bargaining with the West, and as of today there is no dialogue and no preconditions for this bargaining to take place. We should not expect an amnesty for political prisoners in the near future.