Russia’s puppet ally
The war in Ukraine has slowed down due to weather, Ukrainians are trying to survive the onslaught of Russian artillery and missiles, and the Ukrainian governments focus is shifting steadily on infrastructure as it pertains to energy for the winter ahead.
US Intelligence officials have even stated they expect the slow pace of the war to continue for some time. That being said, Russia is still plotting its next moves, and they may have a metaphorical ‘ace’ up their sleeve.
On November 4, I read an MSN article about Belarus’ Lukashenko and his relationship to Vladimir Putin; a relationship that is historically, marked by Lukashenko’s close yet subservient disposition to Putin.
You may remember in 2020–21, there we mass protests in Belarus that were vehemently against Lukashenko and his government. During those protests, thousands of Belarussians were beaten, arrested, and tortured while detained. Belarussian enforcers — and possibly some Russians sent by Putin — were used to do these beatings and roundups of protestors.
It would seem Lukashenko, once again, is repaying the favor to Putin — the only man who has kept him in power in Belarus. Over the past weekend, Lukshanko stated that Russia and Belarus are conducting military training exercises, and that the Belarussian soldiers are preparing to fight alongside their Russian counterparts.
Lukashenko was quoted, saying “The Belarusian, and the Russians are preparing… No one is divided here: we are preparing as a single group, a single army today.”
Belarus was a major player in Russia’s early actions leading up to the invasion of Ukraine. When those hundreds of thousands of troops amassed on Ukraine’s borders, Belarus had allowed Russian troops to assault Ukraine from its own territory. Many of those troops were the ones attempting to encircle — and ultimately seize — Kyiv, for example.
It is uncertain whether or not Belarus would openly join the war against Ukraine or not, but it is damn certain that Belarus will continue to aid Russia with training, arms and munitions, supplies, and the use of Belarusian territory. Russia has already employed the use on non-Russian fighters, so maybe Belarusians in the Russian ranks wouldn’t be unheard of.
Lukashenko also spoke about the possibility of peace negotiations, specifically calling out the West for seeking to consider “options for continuing hostilities in Ukraine.” He also stated that if Ukrainians — or any defender of Ukraine (he specifically mentioned Poles or mercenaries) — wish to continue fighting that “it is their right.” He almost seems encouraging of it.
This is typical for Lukashenko and Russian rhetoric, as it deflects the true stance of the aggressor, attempting to appear morally superior and only defending what is right to defend. This is of course a ploy.
While Lukashenko is an undisputed Putin loyalist, the degree to which Belarus is fully involved — or should I say supporting — Russia’s affairs is always imprecise. The safe thing would be to assume that Belarus will give Russia the same assistance as they did in February 2021, if not more.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
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