Belarus Review by iSANS — June 30, 2025 

According to Ukrainian monitoring channels, between 23 and 29 June, at least five Russian “Shahed”-type unmanned aerial vehicles were recorded in Belarusian airspace. No reports regarding their destruction have been received.

From 23 to 27 June, flight and tactical exercises involving the Air Force and Air Defence Forces were conducted in Belarus. This was reported by the Ministry of Defence of Belarus. The following tasks were practised during the exercises: withdrawal of aviation units from a simulated enemy airstrike; air support for troops; strikes on ground targets; aerial reconnaissance; execution of air transport and airborne missions; and evacuation of flight personnel in distress. All aviation units of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus took part in the exercises. Plans for these manoeuvres were announced more than six months ago. In October 2024, the Commander of the Air Force and Air Defence Forces, Andrei Lukyanovich, declared the intention to conduct joint flight and tactical exercises in 2025. Lukyanovich’s reference to the “joint” nature of the manoeuvres suggested the participation of not only Belarusian forces, but also foreign troops. At the time, the specific participants were not confirmed; however, it was assumed that Russian servicemen could be involved. Indeed, joint Belarusian-Russian flight and tactical exercises had previously been held in January 2023 and May 2024. The reason why Belarusian troops conducted the 2025 flight and tactical exercises independently remains unknown.

On 24 June, the Ministry of Defence of Belarus announced that Viktar Khrenin had arrived in China. The purpose of the visit was to participate in the Meeting of Defence Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member states, held on 26 June. Several bilateral meetings were scheduled in the working agenda of the Belarusian Defence Minister. On 25 June, the Ministry of Defence of Belarus reported a meeting between Viktar Khrenin and the Minister of National Defence of China Dong Jun. During the talks, the high level of Belarusian-Chinese bilateral relations was highlighted — relations officially described as a “comprehensive all-weather strategic partnership”. The parties exchanged views on the current state and prospects of cooperation in the military sphere and outlined concrete paths for further strengthening of ties. On the same day, a meeting was held with the Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics of Iran Aziz Nasirzadeh. During the meeting, Viktar Khrenin confirmed Belarus’s interest in expanding cooperation with Iran and its readiness for open dialogue on all matters of mutual interest. On 26 June, on the sidelines of the meeting, a working session was held with the Minister of Defence of India Rajnath Singh. The defence ministers summarised interim results of the joint work in 2025, discussed ways to deepen cooperation, including in the field of military education, and agreed on a list of activities for the near future.

On 27 June, the Ministry of Defence of Belarus reported that a ceremony was held in one of the Radio-Technical Troops’ units to hand over new weapons systems. These included the “Sopka-2” air route radar system (of Russian manufacture) and the “Rosa-RB” low-altitude target detection radar station (of Belarusian manufacture). According to the Chief of the Radio-Technical Troops of the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defence Forces Aliaksandr Vorobiou, the arrival of these new systems will enhance combat capabilities and significantly improve the performance of assigned tasks. He stated that “in the near future”, the delivery of several additional systems is expected, although specific models were not disclosed. The unit that received the equipment was not officially named. However, analysis of published photographs indicates that it was delivered to the 2288^th Separate Radio-Technical Battalion (Military Unit 25887). The battalion is part of the 49^th Radio-Technical Brigade and is stationed in the settlement of Shchytomirychi, Minsk district. The battalion’s military compound is located in close proximity to the “Machulishchy” airfield. It should be noted that this is the third “Sopka-2” system received by the Radio-Technical Troops. The first was deployed in Baranavichy in 2020, and the second in Lida in January 2025. Regarding the “Rosa-RB” low-altitude radar station, it was officially adopted by the Armed Forces of Belarus in 2020. Official reports mention at least four systems being delivered to the troops (in 2020–2021 and in January 2025). Thus, the Radio-Technical Troops currently have no fewer than five such units in service.

On 28 June, a report was published by the human rights initiative Justice For Myanmar, dedicated to military-technical cooperation between Myanmar and Belarus. The primary element of this cooperation involves the supply of air defence systems and the training of Myanmar specialists on the Belarusian territory. The state-owned company “Belspetsvneshtechnika” serves as the key intermediary for these deliveries. Among the transferred technologies are: the “PANORAMA” automated control system for the central command post of the Air Force and Air Defence Forces; the “Vostok-3D” radar complex; and modernised “Kvadrat-M” surface-to-air missile systems, among others. Payment for the supplied equipment and rendered services was reportedly made, at least in part, in cash.

A solidarity rally took place in Warsaw on 26 June with the participation of Siarhei and Sviatlana Tsikhanouski. Held near the monument to Nicolaus Copernicus, the event drew at least 700 Belarusians, despite threats and provocations from the Lukashenka regime. Many carried white-red-white flags, and the crowd greeted the Tsikhanouskis. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya told the people: “I dreamed of this moment for five years,” recalling how she used to imagine her husband beside her during rallies and international meetings, when she only had a photo of him. At the rally, she held a picture of jailed journalist Andrzej Poczobut and thanked President Donald Trump, the Polish government, and European partners for their support in securing political prisoners’ release. Siarhei Tsikhanouski expressed deep gratitude to the Belarusian people, saying, “If it were not for your efforts, no one would have listened to my wife. And if no one listened to her, Donald Trump would not even know my name.” He voiced hope that all political prisoners would soon be freed, potentially in exchange for the lifting of sanctions on Belarus. “We will do everything to bring attention to those still imprisoned,” he pledged, announcing upcoming meetings with the Belarusian diaspora across Europe and promising to work for democratic elections in Belarus. “If you believe in me, I promise to do everything so that you can return to a free Belarus,” he said. Other speakers included Pavel Latushka, Artsiom Bruhan, former political prisoners, and Belarusian volunteers who fought for Ukraine. Anna Fedoronak, one of the organisers, noted: “I felt the same energy as in 2020. There is hope again — we will continue the struggle, and we will win.”

Siarhei and Sviatlana arrived at the rally following their meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. According to Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the meeting, Sikorski emphasised that the ultimate goal is the release of all political prisoners in Belarus, including Andrzej Poczobut. Meanwhile, the head of the unregistered Union of Poles in Belarus Anzhalika Borys has called on the Belarusian authorities to release journalist and activist Andrzej Poczobut, who was sentenced to eight years in prison. “We are Poles and citizens of Belarus, and good relations and dialogue are very important to us. More than 300,000 Poles live in Belarus, and the cause of Polishness in Belarus has always been the Union’s life mission. Andrzej Poczobut is our colleague and activist, a member of the Union’s main board and a journalist. He has never been an ‘opposition figure’, and we earnestly ask the authorities in Minsk to release him!!!” Borys wrote on Facebook.

Valery Kavaleuski, former foreign affairs representative of the United Transitional Cabinet and now head of the Euro-Atlantic Cooperation Agency, publicly criticised Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s recent remarks during a solidarity rally in Vilnius. Responding to a question about whether the release of Siarhei Tsikhanouski and 13 other political prisoners might prompt stronger European action, Tsikhanouskaya affirmed that the EU had already exerted considerable pressure on the Lukashenka regime over the past five years. She emphasised the need for “more pressure on the regime and more support for Belarusians,” and insisted Lukashenka must be held accountable for dragging Belarus into war, while ruling out lifting of sanctions. Kavaleuski took issue with her rejection of engagement, pointing out that it was precisely through U.S. diplomatic negotiations with Minsk that her husband Siarhei had been released. He accused Tsikhanouskaya of inconsistency — thanking the U.S. while criticising the very approach that secured the prisoners’ freedom. Kavaleuski argued that the Tsikhanouskis appeared unaware of the delicate nature of humanitarian diplomacy, which had already helped free over 300 political prisoners. He warned that the threat to those still imprisoned remains serious, urging the opposition to avoid empty threats and instead continue active diplomacy and targeted sanctions — strategies that have proven effective.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya travelled to The Hague on 24 June to take part in the NATO Public Forum. She met with Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp, who reaffirmed the Netherlands’ strong support for Belarusian civil society, independent media, and exiled activists, calling their work “crucial for European security.” She also met with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof to discuss the geopolitical and military landscape. “Belarus is key to Europe’s security — it should be seen not only as a threat but as an opportunity,” Tsikhanouskaya wrote, thanking the Netherlands for years of support. At a NATO side event, she presented the “Red Paper” — a report outlining threats posed by the Lukashenka regime and potential areas of cooperation to mitigate them. “The situation is escalating. There are signs of a possible attack on NATO countries from Belarusian territory. This must be recognised, and alternatives proposed,” the report stressed. During the panel discussion titled “Zapad 2025 and Beyond: Understanding the Eastern Threat and NATO’s Response”, Tsikhanouskaya said the main goal was to free Belarus from Putin’s grip. “We are witnessing a creeping occupation. The regime has moved from authoritarianism to totalitarianism — using war, fabricated enemies, Russification, propaganda, nuclear deployment, and repression. Political prisoners are treated as bargaining chips,” she said. She urged Europe to view Belarus through the lens of continental security: “A stable, democratic Belarus is essential to the security architecture of the region.” Tsikhanouskaya also insisted that international pressure must not be relaxed until all political prisoners are released and repressions end. While in The Hague, she held further meetings with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and U.S. Senators Chris Coons and Jeanne Shaheen to discuss regional security and strategies for freeing Belarusian political prisoners.

Aliaksandr Lukashenka and Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation on the evening of 24 June. According to Lukashenka’s press service, they discussed the upcoming summit of the Eurasian Economic Union, as well as the Belarus-Russia Union State agenda, including the continuation of joint projects and programmes. They also held an in-depth exchange on regional issues and the wider international situation, including developments in Ukraine and the Middle East. Both sides agreed to discuss these pressing matters in greater detail during their upcoming meeting in Minsk.

Accordingly, on 26 June, Vladimir Putin arrived in Belarus for a two-day visit. As previously reported, during his stay in Minsk, Putin was set to take part in a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council and the plenary session of the 4^th Eurasian Economic Forum. These events are being held under Belarus’s presidency of the governing bodies of the Eurasian Economic Union in 2025. Earlier, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Kyrgyz Prime Minister Sadyr Japarov also arrived in Belarus to attend these events. During a press-conference in Minsk on 27 June, Putin said that Russian and Ukrainian peace settlement memoranda are, “as expected, directly opposite,” but negotiations “are organised and held precisely to find ways to bring positions closer together”.

The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to comments made by Donald Trump’s special envoy, Keith Kellogg, following his visit to Minsk, expressing readiness for constructive cooperation with the United States. “Belarus continues to promote peace through dialogue and mutual respect. We are open to constructive cooperation, as President Lukashenka stated during his meeting with Mr Kellogg,” the Ministry wrote in a post on social media platform X, under Kellogg’s statement. As reported earlier, U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg met with Lukashenka on 20 June. The following day, 14 political prisoners were released, including Siarhei Tsikhanouski.

The European Council has once again condemned Belarus for its military support of Russia. This was stated in the conclusions following the meeting of EU leaders. Notably, the Council’s conclusions on Ukraine were issued separately once more, as 26 out of the 27 member states endorsed them. “The European Council strongly condemns support from third countries, as well as individuals and entities within them, which enable Russia to continue its war of aggression against Ukraine. The Council denounces the ongoing military assistance provided by Iran, Belarus, and North Korea. It calls on all countries to immediately cease any direct or indirect support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” the conclusions read.

Meanwhile, PACE has recognised Lukashenka as responsible for the deportation of Ukrainian children. This was stated in a new resolution adopted on 24 June during the summer session in Strasbourg. Pavel Latushka, the Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management, and his team were initiators of this issue and actively collecting evidence to bring Lukashenka and representatives of the regime to an international court. The document highlights that the children were subjected to Russian political, military, and ideological indoctrination, and that their transfer took place under the direct order of Lukashenka. Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the resolution, noting that Belarus has now been officially recognised as a party involved in the unlawful detention of Ukrainian prisoners. Furthermore, the resolution records the individual responsibility of the political and military leadership of Russia, Belarus, and North Korea for the aggression against Ukraine.

The United Kingdom will introduce additional tariffs on imports of nitrogen fertilisers from Russia and Belarus starting 18 July, according to the Department for Business and Trade. The tariff rate will increase gradually over a three-year period, following a model similar to that adopted by the European Union. Specifically, from 18 July 2025, the additional tariff will be set at 10%, rising to 20% on 1 July 2026, and reaching 35% on 1 July 2027.

The verdict of Aliaksandr Kudrevich, who was accused of creating an “extremist formation” and high treason committed by an official in a responsible position, became known. The Minsk City Court found him guilty and sentenced him to 15 years of imprisonment. The criminal case was considered behind closed doors. On 11 March 2025, the Supreme Court rejected the defendant’s appeal against the verdict and upheld it. Kudrevich will serve his sentence in Colony No. 3 in Vitsebsk. Aliaksandr Kudrevich allegedly worked in the Criminal Intelligence Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (formerly the Department for Operational Investigative Activities), this department that filed a lawsuit against him for “compensation for property damage caused by an employee in the line of duty.” Aliaksandr was detained in early 2024.

Brest historian Aleh Zyalenka was convicted for “facilitating extremist activities”. Zyalenka is mentioned in databases as the head of the historical club “Mindoug”, one of the NGOs registered in Brest. In December 2024, he was twice convicted of “spreading extremist materials”. After he served an administrative detention, a criminal case against him was initiated, apparently, and he was placed in a pretrial detention. He was convicted in 2025 on charges of “facilitating extremist activities” by the Brest Regional Court. This charge provides for up to four years of restriction of freedom or two to six years’ imprisonment. Apparently, Zyalenka was sentenced to imprisonment. The exact date of the verdict delivery and the sentence are not known. His social media accounts are not updated, and his Telegram account has the status “was online a long time ago”.

In Mahileu, the director of an advertising company, Vital Chavusau, was sentenced to four years of imprisonment in the Belarusian Hajun case. According to human rights activists, he was accused of facilitating “extremist” activities and sentenced in late May. The details of the case are unknown. The Belarusian Hajun is an independent monitoring project that tracked the movements of Russian and Belarusian troops in Belarus. The Belarusian authorities declared it an “extremist formation” in 2022. In February 2025, the project was closed after the chatbot of the project’s Telegram channel was hacked. In early June, “Viasna” reported that at least 20 people had been detained in Belarus as part of a criminal case involving the transfer of information to the Belarusian Hajun.

Since the beginning of 2025, the KGB has detained 14 people who were accused of working for foreign intelligence services. This was stated by the KGB Chair, Ivan Tsertsel, in an interview to the Belarusian television. He claimed that there are “massive intelligence activities” by foreign security services on the territory of Belarus. Tsertsel added that foreign security agencies periodically contact Belarusian authorities with proposals to transfer the detainees. He stressed that among the 14 prisoners released last week after the visit to Minsk of Keith Kellogg, the Special Representative of the President of the United States, there were people detained for cooperating with security services. “These were citizens of Poland, Latvia, and some other countries. It was a gesture of goodwill. We will see how the other side responds,” he said. As previously reported, among the released foreigners were Polish citizen Jerzy Żywalewski and Japanese citizen Nakanishi Masatoshi, who had been convicted of espionage.

Siarhei Tsikhanouski gave several interviews after his release. Among other things, he spoke about the conditions of his detention and release. Tsikhanouski had been in custody for more than five years since May 2020. He spent most of his time in solitary confinement, during which he nearly forgot how to speak. “They only threw two spoonfuls of porridge on my plate, two small spoons. Sometimes I was given a small tube of toothpaste, a bar of soap – as a handout,” Siarhei described the conditions of detention, – “It is definitely torture”. “The prison staff kept telling me, ‘You are not going to be here for the 20 years we have already sentenced you to. We will try you again, and you will never get out.’ And they kept repeating, ‘You are going to die here,’” Tsikhanouski recalled. Siarhei now weighs 79 kilograms, with a height of 192 centimetres. Before his imprisonment, his weight was about 135 kilograms. According to him, he had not received adequate medical care during his five years of imprisonment. In detention, he claimed, cold and hunger become the main causes of diseases suffered by political prisoners, who are deliberately held in particularly harsh conditions. According to Siarhei, after February 2024, when Alexei Navalny died in a Russian colony, the conditions of his detention improved slightly. “When Alexei Navalny died, I thought that I would probably be there soon too… and then something changed. It was clear that someone higher up said, ‘Make sure he doesn’t die here. We do not need this problem.’”

“Viasna” Human Rights Centre and the International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus have published a joint research report titled “Torture and ill-treatment in correctional colony No. 17 in Shklou”. The research was based on interviews with 18 former political prisoners and spanned more than 800 pages in total. It concluded that environmentalist and opposition activist Witold Ashurak died from beatings by prison staff under orders from the head of the colony, Aliaksandr Karnienka, who has been under EU sanctions since 2023 for brutality against convicts. According to the official version, Witold Ashurak’s death was caused by heart problems. However, in documents obtained by the Belarusian Cyber Partisans, “other unspecified and unidentified causes of death” were indicated. Relatives immediately suspected that Ashurak’s death was violent –  bruises were found on his body. In their research, human rights activists confirmed this version. No criminal investigation has been opened into the death of Witold Ashurak. The Investigative Committee stopped responding to letters from his relatives.

On 26 June, the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said in an address to Belarusians that the work with the United States and other countries on the release of Belarusian political prisoners continues. This work is ongoing and persistent. Among other things, efforts continue to free the Belarusian volunteers of the Kalinouski regiment, Jan Dzyurbeika and Syarhei Dzyahteu, who were captured near Lisichansk during the fighting. The democratic forces regularly raise the issue of their inclusion in exchange lists.

Maksim Urbanovich, the brother of Dzyanis Urbanovich, a volunteer fighting on the side of Ukraine, was sentenced to one and a half years of imprisonment. He was detained in early April in Minsk. He was charged with organising and preparing actions grossly violating public order or actively participating in them. On 17 June, Maxim was recognised by Belarusian human rights defenders as a political prisoner. His case was considered by the Zavadski District Court of Minsk. In addition to imprisonment, Urbanovich was fined about 10,000 USD and ordered to undergo compulsory treatment for alcohol addiction. Maksim Urbanovich refused a lawyer and defended himself during the trial.

In June 2025, 14 people were evacuated from Belarus by the BYSOL solidarity foundation. Andrei Stryzhak, co-founder of BYSOL, reported this in his blog. Evacuations are defined as assistance with the departure from Belarus of people who are at risk of arrest for political reasons, including those who have already served their sentence and are facing repeated detention.

On 24 June, a meeting of the Contact Group of the Belarusian democratic forces and the Council of Europe was held in Strasbourg. They discussed the implementation of a two-year cooperation programme. Both sides noted that activities in the field of human rights protection, media freedom and youth policy contribute to the promotion of Council of Europe standards and the creation of conditions for building a democratic Belarus. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, called the format of the Contact Group “a signal to Belarusians and the world that changes are inevitable even in places where democracy is denied and human rights are violated”. He also emphasised that although “the path may be long, the Council of Europe’s support for a new free Belarus is unwavering”.

Stephen Kapus, President of Radio Liberty, published a message on the fifth anniversary of Ihar Losik’s imprisonment. “The Radio Liberty journalist is only 33 years old, and he has already lost five years of his life in prison. Extreme cruelty,” he wrote on X. Losik was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment in December 2021. He is serving his sentence in the Navapalotsk colony. There has been no contact with him since February 2022.

Siarhei Tsikhanouski addressed the 59^th session of the UN Human Rights Council and called on the UN to use all possible resources to rescue political prisoners. His speech was broadcast online during the Council meeting on 26 June. “I was tortured, I was kept in a solitary confinement, I was frozen, they did not even give me a pen to write a few words. I have not received a single letter in years. Even from my daughter. My ears were filled with lies and propaganda. They tried to convince me that everyone had forgotten me. What is happening in Belarusian prisons is not law enforcement. This is torture, bullying, and the destruction of human beings. People are literally being killed behind bars,” he stressed. “Now I want everyone to be free. More than a thousand people are still behind bars. We must fight for each of them. The United Nations must act. This is not politics. This is a humanitarian issue. It is not even a human rights issue. It is a matter of life and death. I urge the UN Secretary General to intervene and use all possible resources to save these lives. And I urge all of you to talk about what is happening in the very heart of Europe. To all Belarusians: keep fighting, because freedom is the most valuable thing we have, and it belongs to everyone, not just the chosen few,” he said.

“There is no sign of improvement in the human rights situation in Belarus, and the authorities are disregarding offers of cooperation,” Nils Muižnieks, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, said on 26 June, presenting the annual report of the mandate to the Human Rights Council’s 59^th session, covering the period between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025. During this period, Belarus held presidential elections on 26 January 2025, with Aliaksandr Lukashenka being re-elected for a seventh term. “My predecessor noted in one of her reports that elections have been a catalyst for human rights violations in Belarus. This holds true for my mandate as well — the closer the elections, the greater the repression,” Muižnieks said. He referred to a surge in human rights violations in the run-up to recent elections, including the persecution of family members of individuals recognised by human rights defenders as political prisoners, as well as trials in absentia. “The authorities are not only going after people who have fled abroad, they are also increasingly confiscating their property in Belarus,” he said. The Special Rapporteur stressed that the overall number of persons unjustly imprisoned remained steady while repression continued, despite the recent waves of presidential pardons. Furthermore, the pardons have sometimes been accompanied by new human rights violations, such as forcing prisoners to make propaganda videos or sign cooperation agreements with the KGB to secure their release. Muižnieks expressed his regret that Belarusian authorities had refused to cooperate with his mandate, ignoring his request to visit the country, and only provide formal and uninformative responses to communications sent by him jointly with thematic special procedures.

Lithuanian poet, Soviet dissident, and human rights activist Tomas Venclova appealed to Pope Leo XIV to intervene and demand the immediate release of Ales Bialiatski from prison. This was reported by human rights activist and former political prisoner Leanid Sudalenka. “This is Ales’ second imprisonment in the course of many years of selfless struggle for human rights. He is in a colony with harsh conditions, without medical care, and at risk to his life. Pope Benedict XVI has already expressed his support for Bialiatski through his representative,” Sudalenka said on Facebook. Ales Bialiatski was sentenced to ten years of imprisonment. He and other human rights defenders of “Viasna” Human Rights Centre were found guilty of smuggling by an organised group and financing group actions that grossly violate public order.

On 23 June, during a broadcast on CTV, Minsk City Council deputy Vadzim Baravik launched a criticism against pro-government parties for their “low recognisability.” He invited viewers to go outside and ask random passers-by to name three party leaders. “They will never name them: they do not know what they look like or their surnames,” Baravik asserted. He went on to voice ideas which, in Lukashenka’s administration, could theoretically be seen as subversive. For instance, the speaker hinted that regime representatives are “afraid of everything” and do not always keep up with shifts in political direction. “Processes in the world are unfolding at lightning speed. We are at a point of geopolitical fracture. What is the main problem with our speakers? They are afraid of everything. You see? He was given a task, listened to Aliaksandr Hryhoryevich [Lukashenka] two years ago, watched the news somewhere, but things have already changed — today we are negotiating with the other side, today we have interests there, and over there — [we see] threats.” Interestingly, on a programme by BelTA, historian Mikalai Smiakhovich praised state media, which in his view “stopped being afraid” after 2020: “… previously, there was a certain inferiority complex in our media. That undermined public trust. But once they became more assertive, stopped being afraid to say things as they are—to genuinely defend our national interests like fighters—public confidence grew.”

On 25 June, Aliaksei Bialiayeu, Dean of the Faculty of Journalism at Belarusian State University, urged viewers on ONT not to “idealise” Lukashenka’s meeting with the U.S. President’s special envoy Keith Kellogg: “We understand that political contacts exist even between countries in a state of direct confrontation, of outright war. So, we should not comfort ourselves with joy that Keith Kellogg has come to us.” According to him, since the U.S. views Russia as a geopolitical adversary, “Belarus, as an ally of Russia, is also viewed in the United States as an opponent.” Like many of his colleagues, Bialiayeu did not miss the opportunity to publicly exalt Lukashenka, calling him “the longest-serving incumbent head of state in Eastern Europe” and “an extremely experienced politician.” He claimed the United States is undergoing “a certain analytical crisis” and that American politicians do not always have a clear understanding of what is actually happening in the post-Soviet space. “That they approached Aliaksandr Hryhoryevich [Lukashenka] for an analytical view of these problems is a sign that his opinion and experience are of great importance today — even to our geopolitical adversaries,” concluded the propagandist. This view was echoed by pro-regime political analyst Vadzim Yalfimau, who wrote in SB. Belarus Today that Kellogg had come to Minsk to “speak with a political guru and one of the few real diplomats remaining today, one with strategic vision and top-level tactical skill.” MP Vadzim Hihin informed readers of SB that the meeting proved “there can be no talk of any international isolation of Belarus” and confirmed “what knowledgeable experts have said all along — that peace in Ukraine and the region cannot be achieved without the participation of Belarus and our president personally.” Hihin also downplayed the significance of the release of 14 political prisoners: “Requests for the release of exposed and convicted agents are common practice. So, the United States simply acknowledged that Belarusian extremists were working in its interests. The rest is nothing but noise.”

Regime propagandists were infuriated by comments made by former political prisoner Siarhei Tsikhanouski, who claimed that Donald Trump needed only say one word to get Lukashenka to release all prisoners of conscience in Belarus. During the programme “Editor’s Club”, head of the Belarusian State Television and Radio Company Ivan Eismant called Tsikhanouski “a freakish character” and warned opponents: “I am 100 and 200 percent certain that if Donald Trump, in his usual style, were to say even a single word demanding the release of all so-called political prisoners, I am 200 percent sure that not a single political prisoner would be released from Belarusian prisons before their term ends. The effect would be exactly the opposite — you know the Belarusian president. He cannot be pressured like that.”

During this period, representatives of the Lukashenka regime also showed their overt support for the Iranian authorities. On 24 June, propagandist Yury Uvarau wrote in “Minskaya Pravda” that “only scoundrels could support Trump’s brazen and immoral plot involving strikes on Iran.” “Against the backdrop of Trump’s earlier failures, this appears to be the epitome of idiocy. Today it is clear that nearly all of Trump’s decisions and actions have deepened the internal divide in the U.S. I am convinced that his efforts as a ‘peacemaker’ to stabilise the oil market will end in complete failure, and any continuation of aggression against Iran will mark the beginning of the total collapse of the United States.” On 25 June, Chairman of the House of Representatives Ihar Siarheyenka stated at a meeting with Iranian ambassador Alireza Saneyi that Belarusian parliamentarians support “Iran’s stance against the imposition of foreign policy dictates, which aim to restrict sovereignty and interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign states.” On 27 June, Lukashenka himself, during a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, condemned strikes on Iran: “The recent strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, which are under IAEA supervision, constitute a most dangerous violation of international law, including the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the 1949 Geneva Conventions. I won’t even speak of the feelings these actions provoke in Belarus, a country that suffered the most from the Chernobyl disaster. Back then, radioactive fallout reached even the UK, Germany, and Sweden. They probably think it won’t affect them now — especially the country that carried out such actions.” He did not clarify exactly who he was criticising. During the meeting, a recording of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was shown, in which he accused Israel of unprovoked aggression. Lukashenka responded, “I want you to know that you are not alone in your resistance.”

During a speech at the OSCE’s security review conference on 25 June, Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Ihar Sakreta stated that Belarus and Western countries do not share a common vision for de-escalating tensions in Europe. He claimed that attempts to create a pan-European security formula had failed and that the existing security architecture had been destroyed. He called on the OSCE not to become “a tool of the foreign policy of individual states,” not to be “poisoned by human rights rhetoric,” and to return to “a unifying agenda.”

On 26 June, Belarusian Defence Minister Viktar Khrenin said at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Qingdao, China, that certain states and coalitions had chosen the path of “open militarisation and the build-up of military potential.” According to him, such actions have led to major military conflicts in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and other regions — conflicts that could escalate further and lead to “irreparable consequences on a global scale,” including the very real risk of “nuclear-armed states being drawn into direct confrontation.” He noted that “terrorist methods” have become widespread in these conflicts. Although Khrenin did not name the culprits, it was clear he was referring to Western countries and not to the Kremlin — Belarus’s closest ally.

On 28 June, at the congress of “Belaya Rus” pro-Lukashenka party, Deputy Head of Lukashenka’s Administration Uladzimir Piartsou urged allies to “do more,” stating that in Belarus, “pseudo-patriotic cells have begun to form, disguising themselves as patriots.” “They enter into collaboration with state and pro-state civic organisations and political parties, claiming to share the journey of winning hearts and minds, while in reality they are financed from abroad and primarily focused on implementing alternative, destructive political agendas in the next electoral cycle — 2029 to 2030,” he warned.

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