Belarus Review by iSANS — February 24, 2025 

The Belarusian Armed Forces continued their combat readiness inspection. Throughout the week, the Ministry of Defense of Belarus reported on training exercises with reservists called up from the reserve, as well as the combat coordination of military units. On February 21, units staffed with reservists began a combined march (using both roads and railway transport) to designated areas.

Russian Shahed drones continued to be detected in Belarusian airspace. Between February 17 and February 23, at least ten drones were reported. No reports emerged regarding their destruction by air defense forces or aviation.

The Belarusian Ministry of Defense reported on the continued visit of a Belarusian military delegation to the United Arab Emirates. On February 17, Chief of the General Staff Pavel Muraveika participated in the opening ceremony of the international defense exhibition IDEX-2025. According to reports, several bilateral meetings were scheduled as part of the event with heads of foreign military delegations and representatives of the defense industry. Additionally, a delegation from the Belarusian State Military-Industrial Committee took part in the IDEX-2025 exhibition.

On February 19, personnel from one of the battalions of the 11^th Mechanized Brigade returned to their permanent deployment point following a field exercise. This was reported by the brigade’s Telegram channel. It is worth recalling that in the second half of December, the Belarusian Armed Forces grouping near the Ukrainian border was reinforced. Units of the 11^th Mechanized Brigade (military unit 33933) were deployed to the Stolin district (Brest region) and Lelchytsy district (Gomel region). No reports of new troop movements in border areas have emerged.

On February 19, state media reported on the results of the operational and service activities of the Mozyr Border Guard Detachment for the past year and the clarification of priority tasks for 2025. Deputy Chairman of the State Border Committee Ihar Hutnik stated that “this year, the main focus must be on expanding engineering infrastructure and troop components, primarily in the Ukrainian direction, strengthening existing and establishing new border units, actively equipping maneuver groups with modern technology, and providing border units with unmanned aerial vehicles and counter-drone systems.” According to him, active construction of new border outposts along the Belarus-Ukraine border will continue in 2025.

On February 19, the Belarusian Ministry of Defense reported that at the Asipovichy training ground, control exercises in firearms training were being conducted with servicemen of the 51^st Artillery Brigade. Artillery units engaged targets using 2S5 Giatsint-S self-propelled guns, “2A65 Msta-B” towed howitzers, and “BelGrad” multiple launch rocket systems at distances of up to 13 kilometers. Drones were reportedly used to adjust fire.

On February 20, the press service of the Internal Troops reported that the 7^th Police Brigade (military unit 5524) conducted comprehensive combat readiness training. The exercises included procedures for personnel and equipment mobilization, securing and defending military garrisons, and testing operational response capabilities under changing conditions.

On February 20, while awarding state honors and military ranks to senior officers, Aliaksandr Lukashenka stated: “We will continue to develop comprehensive cooperation with our allies, primarily within the CSTO, and with our brotherly Russia.”

During the period of review, the leader of the Belarusian Democratic Forces, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, held several meetings on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. She met with Argentina’s Defense Minister Juan Battaleme: “Authoritarian regimes cooperate across borders — we must do the same to defend democracy. We need to build global alliances. I am grateful for Argentina’s solidarity with Belarusians in our struggle for freedom,” — she wrote about the meeting. Tsikhanouskaya also met with Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the opposition candidate in Venezuela’s elections: “I met with the elected president of Venezuela and expressed my solidarity with the Venezuelan people in their struggle for freedom. We exchanged experiences, discussed the situation of political prisoners, and agreed to work together to strengthen our common fight,” — she said. During her meeting with NATO Parliamentary Assembly President Marcos Perestrello, Tsikhanouskaya emphasized that “with such allies, Belarusians are stronger in our struggle for freedom and justice. A democratic Belarus without tyranny means a peaceful region and a safer Europe.” Another meeting took place with former Georgian President Salome Zourabishvili: “I expressed my solidarity with the Georgian people in their struggle for a European future and my gratitude for her support of Belarusians. Both our countries deserve freedom, dignity, and a future without oppression. We are with you!” —   said Tsikhanouskaya.

Negotiations regarding the release of military personnel and civilians from captivity take place in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, in Belarus, and in Russia. At times, meetings between the parties are held in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, which guarantees the safety of the participants. This was stated in an interview with Ukrinform by Bohdan Okhrimenko, head of the secretariat of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, who emphasized that “Belarus has only recently come into the picture”.

Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó stated that he would not support the extension of sanctions against Russian and Belarusian citizens at a meeting of the Council of the European Union on February 20. As noted, Hungary will not support the extension of EU sanctions “as time must be given for US-Russia peace talks.” «We will not agree to extend the sanctions on Monday – there is time until 10 March,» he said. The sanctions are due to expire on 15 March, while a decision on their extension is due on 10 March. Szijjarto also criticised Brussels for making “hasty decisions that supposedly hinder peace efforts” and for violating its own energy security commitments to Hungary.

An investigation by the Belarusian Investigative Center uncovered a scheme in which rapeseed oil exported from Belarus to the EU is made from raw materials sourced from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories. The main Belarusian supplier, Agroproduct, is owned by a beneficiary under Ukrainian sanctions for aiding Russia in transporting military equipment. In the first half of 2024, EU countries — primarily Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland — purchased four times more rapeseed oil from Belarus by volume and 2.6 times more by value than in all of 2021. In 2023, Agropoduct sourced oilseeds from occupied parts of Ukraine’s Kherson region, receiving at least 728 tons in August 2023 alone. According to the Community of Railway Workers of Belarus, nearly 50,000 tons of Agroprodukt products were delivered to Lithuania and Latvia in 2024. Since neither the company nor its management and nor the rapeseed oil itself are under sanctions, shipments continue to reach the EU unchecked. European buyers claim they were unaware that the oil could be made from raw materials from occupied Ukrainian territories. Following media inquiries, LTG Cargo, a subsidiary of Lithuania’s state-owned railway company, launched an internal investigation and suspended shipments, while Lithuanian authorities recently detained eight railcars carrying rapeseed oil at Kena station on the way to Klaipeda.

The Russian State Duma ratified a security agreement with Belarus, signed by Aliaksandr Lukashenka and Vladimir Putin on December 6, 2024 in Minsk. The treaty stipulates that an armed attack on either country will be considered an attack on the Union State as a whole, requiring a joint response. It also echoes Russia’s updated nuclear doctrine, stating that nuclear weapons may be used in cases of aggression posing a critical threat to sovereignty or territorial integrity. If Belarus is attacked, the decision to use Russian nuclear weapons stationed on its territory will be made according to procedures agreed upon by both parties.

On February 20, a joint session of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Committee on Culture and Media of the Polish Sejm held hearings on the situation at the Belarusian-Polish Belsat TV channel, Reform.news reports. For 2025, Belsat’s funding will remain unchanged at 54 million zlotys (currently EUR 12.9 million), but the funds will be divided into three parts: “Belsat”, the autonomous Russian-language broadcasting “Vot Tak”, and the Ukrainian service “Slawa TV”. Previously, the channel has undergone optimization and cost reductions of up to 40% in some areas, “improving the quality of programs while maintaining their diversity”. The number of public affairs programs reportedly remains the same, while the news component is expanding. The number of employees is being reduced from 320 to 260, with 70 of them being new staff members for the Ukrainian editorial team.

The Czech Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee adopted a resolution on February 20, 2025, rejecting the results of Belarus’ so-called “presidential elections” held on January 26. The resolution states that the parliament does not recognize the elections, organized by the state apparatus and security forces, as legitimate, nor does it acknowledge Aliaksandr Lukashenka as a legally elected president. Lawmakers called for new, free, and fair elections with the participation of political prisoners and representatives of Belarusian democratic forces. The Czech parliamentarians expressed support for the democratic forces led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, highlighting their pro-Ukrainian stance in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine and their commitment to a European future for Belarus.

On February 20, the Latvian Sejm approved a bill in its first reading that bans Belarusian and Russian citizens, as well as related enterprises, from purchasing real estate in the country, according to the parliament’s press service. The authors of the bill justify the measure as a step to protect national security. The ban covers all possible ways of acquiring property, including purchase and sale, lease with the right to buy, donation, inheritance, and other transactions.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday issued a statement urging Poland to scrap a bill that would temporarily suspend asylum rights at its border with Belarus. Lydia Gall, a researcher at HRW, said: “Poland, which currently holds the EU presidency, should lead by example and ensure that people fleeing war and persecution are given the opportunity of having their asylum claims individually assessed.” This bill would allow the Polish government to suspend the right to seek asylum along certain areas of Poland’s border with Belarus for an initial period of sixty days. Further, the Parliament could keep extending and renewing this period of suspension indefinitely.

Starting in March, several significant regulatory changes will take effect in Belarus, affecting income of the citizens. A new decree by Aliaksandr Lukashenka will grant local authorities the power to approve the leadership of organizations across all forms of ownership, including private businesses. Additionally, Belarusians must submit their tax declarations for 2024 by March 31, with payments due by June 2. Mobile operators “A1”, “MTS”, and “life:)” will introduce new roaming rules in Russia as part of agreements within the Union State framework, affecting internet tariffs and call rates for Belarusian users. Entrepreneurs, lawyers, and notaries are required to pay mandatory social security contributions by March 1, with minimum payments set at 35% of the minimum wage. Meanwhile, online sales of domestically produced jewelry will be permitted from March 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026, continuing a previously introduced policy.

On February 23, Belarusians in Warsaw held a rally to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The event began with the national anthem “Mighty God,” followed by a performance by a Belarusian-Ukrainian duet. Participants reflected on how they first reacted to February 24, 2022. “It feels wrong to call Ukraine a ‘victim.’ A victim is something weak, but the Ukrainian people are strong. However, that day, I understood clearly what an aggressor truly is,” said Pavel Latushka, a Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Another speaker emphasized that peace agreements are not mere transactions: “True peace is built on truth and justice. Belarusians have the right to independence. The West must consider its responsibility and remember how Belarusians voluntarily gave up nuclear weapons.”

An unprecedented wave of repression continues. Belarusians are still being persecuted for the events of 2020: they are imprisoned for participating in protest actions, publicly expressing disagreement with the actions of the authorities, supporting political prisoners, subscribing to and disseminating materials of independent media and NGOs, and other political activity. After the pseudo-elections on January 26, 2025, the wave of repression has not stopped: political-motivated detentions and political trials continue throughout the country. From 17 to 21 February, at least 58 criminal political cases were considered in Belarusian courts, in which 72 persons were tried. At least 11 trials were held behind closed doors. The most common political accusation was of organizing group actions that grossly violate public order or actively participating in such actions. 34 persons were tried under these charges. At least eight persons were tried this week for “calling for sanctions”. 46 persons were tried under charges of defamation.

The prosecutor’s office sent a criminal case against the organizers of the BYSOL solidarity fund and its structural divisions, Voices from Belarus and Digital Solidarity, to the court. The investigation of the case was conducted within the framework of a special procedure under the supervision of the Homel Regional Prosecutor’s Office. According to the case file, the activities of BYSOL and its divisions “were aimed at creating an illegal large-scale protest movement in Belarus, developing extremist and destructive activities during the preparation and holding of the presidential elections on August 9, 2020.” The prosecution claims that the organizations mentioned in the case had an aim of “destabilizing public order, creating threats to public safety”, provoking “the complication of the criminal situation in the country, organizing group actions that grossly violate public order,” which led to “disruption of transport, enterprises, institutions and organizations.” The defendants in the case are accused of presenting and collecting funds and other property to support extremist activities; inciting national and social discord; insulting the president; recruitment, training and use of people to participate in armed formations on the territory of foreign states, as well as financing and other material support for such activities; and propaganda of terrorism and its public justification, including with the use of the Internet.» In three years of its existence, the BYSOL foundation has received 25,000 applications for support to its telegram hotline.

Fake bots, pretending to belong to the Nasha Niva media, appeared on the Internet. Nasha Niva warned that it does not use bots and urged not to send any information through them.

On February 20, the National Legal Internet Portal published Law No. 61-3 of February 17 “On Amendments to Codes of Criminal Responsibility”. The document introduced amendments to the Criminal Code, the Code of Administrative Offenses, and the Procedural and Executive Code. The Article 366-1 “Violence or threat against the President of the Republic of Belarus, the President of the Republic of Belarus who has terminated the exercise of his powers” was introduced into the Criminal Code. The former president was also mentioned in Articles 367 (slander of the President) and 368 (insulting the President). The list of charges under which Belarusian citizens will be held responsible when crimes are committed outside the country was expanded and included, in particular, charges of inciting discord, discrediting the Republic of Belarus, insulting the president, and abusing state symbols.

On February 20, another trial of Eduard Babaryka, the son and former head of the election campaign headquarters of Viktar Babaryka, 2020 presidential candidate, began. He is for the third time accused of “malicious disobedience to the demands of the colony administration”. In July 2024, Eduard was already sentenced to two years of imprisonment under the same accusations. He faces another two years of imprisonment.

952 persons are currently undergoing “home chemistry” (the form of restriction of freedom without referral to an open-type correctional institution) in the Brest region, the Department of Internal Affairs of the Brest Regional Executive Committee reported. According to Vasil Mikhayevich, head of the Department of Supervisory and Enforcement Activities of the Department of Internal Affairs Public Security Police of the Brest Regional Executive Committee, in January of this year alone, punishment regime of 18 persons sentenced to “home chemistry” was replaced with imprisonment.

The priest Henrikh Akalatovich, who was sentenced to 11 years of imprisonment, was forbidden to have a crucifix in the KGB pre-trial detention center. There is no such prohibition in SIZO-1 in Kalyadzichi, where he was transferred to during the appeal of the verdict. Akalatovich is in poor health, he is in custody after suffering a heart attack and surgery to remove his stomach due to cancer.

On February 21, a trial of Aliaksandr Kanstantsinau was held in Vitsebsk. He is charged with Article 10.9 of the Administrative Code — violation of legislation on elections, referenda, and the exercise of the right of legislative initiative by citizens. It is used in the case of photographing the bulletin or taking it outside the voting site. Since the 2025 “elections”, 20 persons have been charged under this article.

On February 21, the trial of journalist Ihar Ilyash began in the Minsk City Court. He is charged with discrediting Belarus and facilitating “extremist” activities. Pro-government telegram channels wrote that Ilyash was engaged in “assistance to extremist groups” — he gave interviews to independent media, and allegedly “collected information for foreign intelligence services” — he gave comments to Ukrainian media. Ihar Ilyash is the husband of Belsat journalist Katsyaryna Andreeva. She was sentenced to eight years and three months of imprisonment on charges of high treason. Her trial took place behind closed doors in 2022. The details of the charges against her are still unknown.

On February 21, the Interior Ministry added 21 more persons to the “List of citizens of the Republic of Belarus, foreign citizens or stateless persons involved in extremist activities”. Among them was Kanstantsin Tikhamirau, a 17-year old student at the Zhlobinski Metallurgical College. On February 4, the Zhlobinski district court considered a criminal case against him. He was charged with the abuse of state symbols. In 2023, the state media wrote about Tikhamirau as a hero: together with his classmates, he saved a pensioner who fell through the ice. Also on the list is the name of Alena Sharafanavich, a pediatric oncologist with 23 years of experience, who was accused of participating in the protests, charged with committing acts grossly violating public order and sentenced to “home chemistry” (restriction of freedom) at the end of 2024. The exact verdict is unknown, but the appearance of her name in the database of “extremists” signals that it has entered into force. There are 4,969 people on the Interior Ministry’s list now.

A criminal case against the writer Sasha Filipenka for inciting hostility has been open. “It’s about the fact that I used literature to call for mass protests in Belarus.… I do not know when the trial will take place. They don’t say anything. The case is open, it’s probably lying there somewhere and just waiting for its time,” Filipenko said. It became known about the initiation of a criminal case against him a year ago. His father Aliaksandr found out about it when he was detained in November 2023 and brought to the police department.  According to the materials of the criminal case, the writer allegedly called for protests with the help of literature and incited hostility against a “professional group of the pro-government population.” Filipenko is one of the most popular Belarusian authors, whose books are translated and read all over the world. He has published six novels, including “The Former Son” about a country with eternal president Lukashenka. His book «The Cremulator» became the “Best European Novel” of 2023.

On the eve of March 8, the Emergency Humanitarian Aid service, which includes the BYSOL foundation, By_Help company, the Country for Life foundation and the Dissidentby initiative, organized a charity gathering in support of female political prisoners. “March 8 is women’s Solidarity Day in the struggle for their rights. It’s also a reason to remember those who are having a particularly hard time today. Many Belarusian women face difficulties: some are in prison, others are already free, but still need support. They have to start life anew, cope with the consequences of their experiences and take care of their health,” the organizers write. It is planned to collect eight thousand Euro. If more money is raised, the assistance will be more extensive, and more women will be able to receive it.

On February 27, the trial of Anzhalika Alesyak, a teacher of Belarusian language and literature, begins in the Frunzenski district court in Minsk. Her work experience in teaching is more than 20 years. She is accused of insulting Aliaksandr Lukashenka. In 2020, Anzhalika Alesyak was in the election commission at the polling station at school No. 49 in Minsk.

After returning to Belarus, Veranika Zhalubouskaya, a former Qatar Airlines flight attendant, actress and model, was arrested. She is suspected of participating in the 2020 protests. Her trial begins on March 4, 2025 in the Frunzenski district court of Minsk. She is accused of organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order or actively participating in them. The sanction under this charge provides for up to three years of imprisonment.

The name of a U.S. citizen, who was recently released along with Andrei Kuznechik, a journalist from the Belarusian Service of Radio Liberty, and Alena Mavshuk, a political activist and a mother with many children, was named. It is 56-year-old Nikolai Shugaev, who was held in Belarusian pre-trial detention centers for five months under political charges. In addition to the American citizenship, he has a Ukrainian one. He came to Belarus in 2020 to his family, including his young son. According to Shugaev, he was detained on September 12, 2024, after someone denounced him. In this regard, Nikolai noted that he was subscribed to social networks accounts of several media banned in Belarus, including NEXTA Live, Radio Liberty and Belsat. Shugaev was accused of distributing extremist materials and imprisoned for 13 days in a pre-trial detention center in Navapalotsk. This was followed by three more similar administrative arrests for new offenses. In the detention center, conditions of which he called torture and where, according to him, the “lastochka” (swallow) torture was applied to him, Nikolai Shugaev stayed for 56 days. After that he was transferred to the KGB pre-trial detention center in Minsk and a criminal case was opened against him for publicly insulting the president, which was based on a comment on Instagram. He spent three more months there. During the five months of his imprisonment, he lost 20 kilograms and started having problems with his eyesight. In addition, according to the results of the tests, Shugaev has suspiced tuberculosis, which he could have contracted in the isolation ward.

On February 15, during the Munich Conference, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. She handed him over documents from Belarusian human rights defenders about the latest wave of repression, the situation in prisons and lists of political prisoners in critical condition. She stressed that the situation is catastrophic and requires immediate intervention. She called on the High Commissioner to facilitate humanitarian releases, end the practice of incommunicado detention and ensure access to prisoners.

On February 17, 31 Nobel laureates asked Trump, the EU leadership and other world leaders to secure the release of all political prisoners in Belarus. In the open letter, laureates recalled that more than 1,400 political prisoners are currently being held in Belarusian prisons, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski. “We call on world leaders, public figures and all people of conscience to support the campaign for the release of prisoners of conscience in Belarus. The fate of thousands of people depends on the resolute and coordinated actions of the international community,” the letter said.

Diplomats from Austria, the Czech Republic, the European Union, Finland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Slovakia and the United Kingdom came to the Minsk City Court, where the trial of political prisoner journalist Ihar Ilyash began on February 21. “Freedom of speech must be guaranteed. Journalism is not a crime. There are currently 39 media workers behind bars in Belarus. All political prisoners must be released immediately and unconditionally,” the Swedish Embassy in Belarus said in a statement.

During the observed period, state media and propagandists of the Lukashenka regime closely monitored the actions and statements of U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration regarding Ukraine and Europe. Commenting on the developments at the Munich Security Conference, the head of the pro-government Union of Journalists, Andrei Kryvasheyeu, told “The First Informational” channel that Europeans are destined to play the role of those who will pay for conflict resolution since they allegedly surrendered their sovereignty and subjectivity in exchange for U.S. patronage. Now, he said, they have become “unnecessary ballast” in these negotiations. Deputy Vadzim Hihin called the recent conference a “burnt-out Munich theater” and noted that “transatlantic unity has definitely cracked,” though it remains unclear “how deep the fissure is.” “The Americans clearly want to reduce their involvement in ensuring Europe’s security while increasing their economic and ideological influence. Undoubtedly, this factor must be considered in foreign policy, including that of Belarus,” Hihin warned in an article for SB. Belarus Today.

Propagandists also actively monitored the negotiations between Russia and the U.S. in Saudi Arabia and made cautious forecasts. On February 17, in an article for Minskaya Prauda (MP), pro-government political analyst Andrei Lazutkin advised against expecting the negotiation meetings to yield quick results or writing off Ukraine entirely, as Trump, according to him, cannot halt arms supplies to Ukraine because that would lead to “the collapse of the front and a military victory for Russia.” His colleague, MP columnist Yury Uvarau, was more optimistic, calling the meeting between Russian and U.S. representatives in Riyadh “historic,” as he believes it marks the beginning of “a peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian issue” and “a global division of spheres of influence.” “In the new geopolitical game, Europe is relegated to the sidelines. European leaders can organize a hundred more gatherings and impose thousands of sanctions packages against Russia — it will not help. Europe’s aggressive policies will only worsen its miserable position,” Uvarau rejoiced. Longtime SB propagandist Andrei Mukavozchyk proposed the following scenario for Ukraine: “The formula for peace now looks like this. Ukraine loses territories. Ukraine does not join NATO. All sanctions on Russia are lifted. Russia pays nothing to Ukraine. Ukraine pays the U.S. USD 550 billion and surrenders half of its natural resources for perpetual use.”

On February 21, Aliaksandr Lukashenka commented on the negotiation process between Russia and the U.S.: “… there is no need for illusions. We do not know what the U.S. wants. I say this because I am absolutely immersed in these issues. We do not know what they will demand from the Russians in exchange for ending the war, and so on. It seems to me that they will now try to pit the Russians against the Chinese. The Russians must not allow this.”

It is worth noting that the regime representatives continue to insist on the official Minsk participation in peace negotiations. Military expert Aliaksandr Tsishchanka wrote in SB on February 20: “Belarus must be a party in the negotiations because the fate of today’s Ukraine was initially planned by the West for us. A revanche against Russia through the 2020 coup was planned to start with us. If not for the courage and resilience of Aliaksandr Lukashenka and our people, the White House would now be offering Belarus aid in exchange for our potash, just as it currently exchanges aid for Ukraine’s rare earth metals.” At the same time, they also attempt to convince the audience that “selling out to the West” is not an option. On February 19, propagandist Yauhen Pustavoy wrote that the so-called “special military operation” exposed “the degradation of Europe’s status” and that “the old continent no longer determines its own fate.” “Lessons must be learned from mistakes. For Ukraine, it is already too late — it has become a territory for fulfilling overseas desires. And we could have turned into a proxy war testing ground in 2020. We must understand that returning to dialogue with the West, even lifting sanctions, is not a reason to let them in with their ideas and NGOs, to abandon large-scale import substitution within the Union State, or to trust them… Because this is not victory, just a pause. Even if some admire the Americans, look at how actively Trump is strengthening traditional America. Because traditions are always power. And enough with hoping for the West’s reason or loyalty — rely only on ourselves.” That same day propagandist Aliaksandr Shpakouski wrote on his Telegram channel that “Belarus does not trade allies”: “We have known these tricks well throughout our sovereign history. During Trump’s last term, Bolton and Pompeo already proposed that Minsk sell out Russia, and American emissaries were even more concerned about China. The result is well-known: in recent years, we have significantly strengthened our relations with both Russia and China.” At the same time, he acknowledged that a “global negotiation process” is now underway, making the Lukashenka regime’s task “to comprehensively protect and secure national interests.” He warned that soon, “young, tough, effective guys like J.D. Vance” could start advancing “with slogans about “liberation from Bolshevism,” and to counter potential threats, he urged decision-makers to pursue effective policies and society to rally around “the values of sovereign development and the principles established by Lukashenka.”

On February 20, while awarding honors and ranks to senior officers, Lukashenka criticized “certain representatives of the world’s leaders” for treating war as a more profitable business than peace and for valuing ordinary lives as “worth nothing at all.” “We see how instead of a belt of good-neighborliness on Belarus’s western borders, our former anti-Hitler coalition allies are persistently drawing an arc of instability. There is only one conclusion. We must be strong, vigilant, and strengthen our country’s defense capabilities as much as possible,” he urged. On the same day, the head of the Department of International Military Cooperation, Valery Ravenka, stated at a briefing for foreign military attachés that Belarus views the “serious geopolitical changes” and “processes” occurring along its western borders as “preparations for an attack on the Union State with the goal of its destruction and an attempt to realize revanchist sentiments towards Belarus and Russia.”

At the meeting of the OSCE PA General Committee on Political Affairs and Security on February 20, deputy Siarhei Rachkou, the head of the Belarusian “parliament” delegation, called on his colleagues to “focus on key issues” to “steer the region away from the final line, which it is approaching ever closer.” According to him, Belarus has never posed a threat to any of its neighbors, but “the unprecedented unilateral coercive measures imposed by Western countries against Belarus, the reckless expansion of NATO, the buildup of military potential, and the intensification of military exercises near our borders” force the Belarusian authorities “to be pragmatic in assessing these threats.” Rachkou emphasized that the Belarusian authorities do not accept “attempts, including under the cover of the OSCE, to dictate to us whom to be friends with and which leaders to choose.”

On February 22, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktar Khrenin stated that the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus, and in the future, the “Oreshnik” missile complex, is intended to “significantly enhance the strength and potential of the Belarusian Armed Forces.” “We are not doing this to scare anyone; we are doing this so that no one speaks to us from a position of strength,” he said. On February 23, in an interview with “The First Informational” channel State Secretary of the Belarusian Security Council, Aliaksandr Valfovich, attempted to refute the statements of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding a Russian threat to the Baltic States and Poland from Belarusian territory: “Not just Ukraine — we do not threaten anyone at all. But he [Zelenskyy] started scaring our neighbors — Poland and the Baltic states — that another Russian contingent would enter Belarus and form a strike force. But why? Russia’s and Belarus’ policies are not aimed at any conquests or claims.”