Belarus Review by iSANS — March 03, 2025 

The Belarusian Armed Forces continued their combat readiness inspection. Throughout the week, the Ministry of Defense of Belarus reported that reservists participating in the inspection were being deployed to designated areas to carry out tasks as part of their units. The reservists loaded military equipment onto railway platforms for transport to their assigned locations. Upon arrival, they will undergo unit coordination drills and conduct live-fire exercises with their standard-issue weapons. On February 27, Defense Minister Viktar Khrenin visited the Obuz-Liasnouski training ground, where training exercises for reservists are underway. Speaking with journalists, he stated that as part of the inspection, it was “decided to assess the military units formed at the 72^nd Joint Training Center.” To achieve this, approximately 5,000 reservists were called up for military training. Khrenin also tested modernized munitions designed to counter drones.

According to Ukrainian monitoring channels, between February 24 and March 2, at least eight Russian Shahed drones were detected in Belarusian airspace. Most of them later crossed into Ukraine, while the fate of the remaining drones remains unknown. Over the course of the week, media outlets reported multiple drone crashes in Belarus. On the night of February 27, one drone crashed into an outbuilding in the village of Ziabrauka (Homel region). The crash caused an explosion, destroying the structure and igniting a fire. Additionally, on the same night, another drone strike damaged a high-voltage power line at a thermal power plant in the Mozyr district. This drone crash has caused the most significant damage among all other similar incidents in Belarus so far.

Between February 24 and April 4, the 10^th Separate Electronic Warfare Battalion is undergoing a combat and mobilization readiness inspection. This was announced by the Northwestern Operational Command. The goal of the inspection is to assess the battalion’s readiness to carry out its assigned tasks. The training includes mobilizing over 200 reservists and conducting unit coordination drills, culminating in tactical exercises.

On February 25, Chief of the Main Directorate for Ideological Work of the Ministry of Defense Leanid Kasinski provided details about the upcoming military parade in Minsk on May 9. According to him, the parade will feature over 24 marching units as well as aviation displays. The event will consist of both historical and modern segments. Military personnel from “friendly countries” such as Russia and China, as well as flag-bearing groups representing CIS nations, have been invited to participate. Some countries have already confirmed their attendance.

On February 25, Chief of the General Staff Pavel Muraveika presented the Battle Flag to one of Belarus’s newly established rocket artillery units. The recipient was the 79^th Separate Rocket Artillery Battalion, which is part of the 336^th Rocket Artillery Brigade. This battalion was formed at the end of 2023 and is equipped with “Polonez-M” multiple launch rocket systems.

On February 25, the Ministry of Defense reported that company-level tactical exercises were taking place at the Barysau training ground with the 355^th Separate Tank Battalion of the 120^th Mechanized Brigade. Tank crews conducted ambush operations, practiced maneuver defense tactics, and engaged simulated enemy forces from both open and concealed firing positions. Drones were actively used for target reconnaissance and fire adjustment.

On February 26, the military television network VoenTV reported that battalion-level tactical exercises were being conducted at the Asipovichy training ground with the 40^th Mechanized Battalion of the 11^th Mechanized Brigade. The focus of the exercises was maneuver defense. According to the scenario, battalion units conducted defensive maneuvers against a numerically superior simulated enemy force. Soldiers engaged targets using small arms, tanks, and infantry fighting vehicles. Various types of drones were extensively utilized during the exercises.

From February 26 to March 30, training sessions are being conducted for volunteer militia units in eight districts of the Homel region bordering Ukraine (Lelchycy, Yelsk, Naroulia, Chojniki, Brahin, Lojeu, Homel, and Dobrau). Reports indicate that volunteers will receive both theoretical instruction and hands-on training to help them effectively carry out their assigned missions. Servicemen from the Internal Troops are actively involved in conducting these training sessions.

On February 28, Vladimir Putin signed a law ratifying the Security Guarantees Treaty between Belarus and Russia within the framework of the Union State. The treaty signed in December 2024, stipulates that in the event of a threat to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, or external borders of the Union State, the signatories must immediately provide each other with military, military-technical, and other forms of assistance. The treaty also allows Russia to establish additional military bases and deploy its forces on Belarusian territory. Furthermore, the document references the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus; however, there is currently no confirmed evidence of their presence.

During the period under review, the leader of the Belarusian Democratic Forces, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya stated that Belarusians are a self-sufficient nation and oppose the war, rejecting Russia as a “comrade” or “older brother.” In her address on the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she emphasized that Moscow has entrenched itself in Belarus and made it complicit in the war, but Belarusians continue to resist this involvement. “Russia has sunk its roots into our country and made us accomplices in this war. But Belarusians do not want such a ‘partner’ — not as an ‘older brother,’ not as a creditor, and not as a political ally,” she said. Tsikhanouskaya stressed that Belarusians strive to raise children who value peace and freedom, not those who isolate themselves with barbed wire. Supporting Ukraine on its path to a just and lasting peace remains a strategic priority for the Belarusian Democratic Movement, as also said by the United Transitional Cabinet in its statement marking the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The statement emphasizes that only a democratic and independent Belarus can serve as a security contributor to Europe and help strengthen regional stability. “The historical bond between the Belarusian and Ukrainian peoples is a strong foundation for further cooperation, with a shared goal of defending statehood and independence,” it reads. The Cabinet also stressed that this struggle is key to securing a peaceful future for all Eastern Europe. Additionally, on February 26, the Coordination Council adopted a resolution titled “On Recognizing the Russian Federation’s Intervention in the Republic of Belarus and Establishing a Hybrid Form of Occupation.” “The resolution acknowledges the Lukashenka regime’s dependence on the Kremlin and Belarus’ effective loss of sovereignty. This is the first step toward legally assessing Russia’s actions as occupying and toward international initiatives to restore Belarus’ independence,” stated the Council.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya looks forward to cooperating with Germany’s new government. She congratulated Friedrich Merz, the leader of the conservatives, on his victory in the parliamentary elections. “Congratulations to Friedrich Merz on winning the elections in Germany! In these challenging times for the European Union, we hope for the swift formation of a new federal government and look forward to working together to strengthen democracy, security, and stability across Europe,” she wrote on X. Additionally, she commented on X about a recent verbal conflict between Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Donald Trump, and J.D. Vance in Washington. “Freedom must always be defended — in Belarus, in Ukraine, and everywhere it is under threat. Russia’s war against Ukraine is a war against freedom itself. It is a war against the values that unite us all. The brave people of Ukraine are fighting not only for their future but for a free, peaceful, and secure Europe. Belarusians stand with Ukraine.”

The European Union has included measures against the Lukashenka regime in its 16^th sanctions package against Russia, adopted today, according to a statement from the European Council. The package introduces additional restrictive measures on Belarus, mirroring the trade sanctions imposed on Russia, as well as other restrictions related to the sale and provision of services and software, deposits and wallets for cryptocurrency assets, and transportation. Also, a restriction is imposed on the “sale, supply, transfer, export, or provision of software related to oil and gas exploration to further limit Belarus’ ability to explore and extract oil and gas and to minimize the risk of circumventing restrictive measures through Belarusian territory.” Additionally, the Council has introduced a new listing criterion targeting individuals, organizations, and entities that support or benefit from Belarus’ military-industrial complex, the statement reads. In particular, the restrictions have affected two banks in Belarus — Belgazprombank and BelVEB Bank. They were sanctioned for using the Financial Message Transfer System (SPFS), Russia’s alternative to SWIFT, which is used to circumvent sanctions. Also, the Belarusian plant Integral, recently visited by Aliaksandr Lukashenka, has been targeted because of products supplied to Russian organizations involved in the war against Ukraine. According to the EU Council, Russia has already invested around USD 350 million in Integral, which manufactures semiconductors and integrated circuits.

Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have proposed building a defense line along the border with Belarus and Russia, estimating the project cost at EUR 8-10 billion. They hope to secure this funding from the European Union. The details of the project are outlined in a document sent to the European Commission. This will be considered in the development of the EU’s White Paper on future defense, which will determine key defense projects and their funding sources.

In Lithuania, nearly 70 public figures have sent a letter to the president, members of the Seimas, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, calling for a ban on Belarusians using the “Vytis” or “Pahonia” symbols, as well as any other “Lithuanian symbols,” in the “passport of the new Belarus” or any other official context. The authors of the letter cite concerns over “Litvinism” in the context of an information and hybrid war against Lithuania. It states that since 2020, Lithuania has allegedly suffered from hybrid and information attacks from Belarus. Additionally, the authors highlight that over 60,000 Belarusians have recently settled in Vilnius alone, claiming that “their loyalty is nearly impossible to verify.”

On March 1, a photo report was posted on a Facebook account linked to the Libyan National Army (LNA), showing the graduation of a special forces unit that had completed advanced training in Belarus. The ceremony was attended by the son of the leader of Eastern Libya and the Chief of Staff of the Libyan Army, Lieutenant General Saddam Haftar. Judging by the photos, the group consisted of at least 100 fighters.

Aliaksandr Lukashenka believes that the lifting of Western sanctions against Russia would not benefit Belarus. The reason is that it would allow Western companies to return to the Russian market, increasing competition for Belarusian goods. Belarusian products have benefited from the absence of Western competitors since the sanctions were imposed, with exports to Russia rising significantly in recent years. However, according to the “Belarusians and Market” portal, this advantage may soon disappear, as Belarusian companies could struggle to compete once Western businesses return. For instance, Belarusian car manufacturer “BelGee” saw a sharp increase in production and exports to Russia after the exit of Western brands like Audi and BMW. While this situation initially benefited Belarusian businesses, the country’s heavy reliance on the Russian market could cause significant challenges if the competition increases.

In January 2025, at least 89 persons were persecuted for political reasons, according to «Viasna» Human Rights Center which monitors the trials. This number does not include in absentia trials (there was only one such trial in January). Although the January statistics are terrible, the number of those persecuted was lower than in the previous months. In December 2024 — 188 persons were persecuted, in November — 144 persons, in October — 172 persons, in September — 170 persons, in August— 127 persons, in July — 170 persons. As of February 25, 2025, there are 1,209 political prisoners in Belarus. The last time the number was at this level was in May 2022. At its peak, the number of political prisoners exceeded 1,500. Human rights activists note an increase in the number of cases where former political prisoners are being persecuted repeatedly. According to “Viasna”, the security forces also continue to persecute whole families: only recently, at least ten persons have been sentenced to imprisonment and restriction of freedom for participating in protests. The statute of limitations on bringing to justice for participating in the 2020 protests is due to end at the end of 2025.

Prosecutor General Andrei Shved announced a reduction in the number of “extremist crimes.” According to him, in 2024 there were “almost two times fewer” of these “crimes” than in 2023. The largest number of them was committed on the Internet. According to Shved, in 2024, the prosecutor’s office sent 62 criminal cases to the court within the framework of a special procedure. They were considered in absentia, that is, without the presence of the accused. Since 2020, the prosecutor’s office has supported the prosecution of more than one and a half thousand persons who allegedly committed extremist crimes. None of them was acquitted. A confiscation of property, which is often used in such cases, Shved called “an effective deterrent”.

It became known about the arrest of journalist Palina Pitkevich. Her criminal case on participation in an “extremist formation” will be considered by the Minsk City Court on March 7. She faces up to four years of “chemistry” (restriction of freedom) or from two to six years of imprisonment. The KGB claims that Pitkevich was involved in the Media IQ project, which was recognized as an “extremist formation” in June 2024. Apparently, she was detained in the summer– her social media accounts were last active then. On February 27, Palina Pitkevich was recognized as a political prisoner. Besides her, five other persons were recognized as political prisoners on that date. Human rights activists consider their cases to be politically motivated and demand their release.

On February 22, Catholic priest Dzmitry Malts, vicar of the Exaltation of the Cross parish in Lida, was detained while crossing the border. He was returning from a business trip abroad, and the arrest occurred after his mobile phone was checked. Judging by the charges, subscriptions to resources recognized as extremist were found on Malts’ mobile device. Most likely, he was in a temporary detention facility at least until the trial. The trial took place on February 24 in the Moscow Court of Brest. The results were not yet reported.

Cyberpartisans received a report by Hanna Bakun, Belarusian State University Vice-rector for Education and Social Affairs, on eight students of the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences, as well as a student of the School of Law. Bakun reported how for almost two years, starting in September 2023, these students were “re-educated”. The events held and planned were listed in detail. For example, students were introduced to the legislation on extremism, terrorism, and the rehabilitation of Nazism, and were sent to meetings with Deputy Aleh Haidukevich, the Prosecutor General, and the Minister of Internal Affairs, to various “dialogue platforms”, and to watch propaganda films. Among the planned activities were enhanced monitoring of students’ behavior by curators of study groups during academic, and extracurricular hours, as well as in private life; sending them to work in construction brigades; visit to prison No. 8 in Zhodzina “for preventive and informational purposes”; laying flowers at the monuments on Victory Day and Independence Day. A student at the School of Law was given preventive talks, familiarized with the articles of the Criminal Code on genocide and incitement to hatred, instructed to write an essay, showed a film, a talk with his parents was conducted.

Karyna Pratashchyk, a 29-year-old employee of the Peleng company, was sentenced to two years of imprisonment. The Minsk City Court found her guilty of “calling for actions harmful to Belarus”. It is not known exactly when she was detained. Pratashchyk’s last social media activity was more than six months ago. Around the same time, in July 2024, there was a massive repression of Peleng employees. Another employee of the Peleng enterprise, Iryna Surzhyk, will be tried on March 12. Most likely, she was detained during the raid on Peleng. Surzhyk faces four to 12 years of imprisonment for “calling for harm to Belarus”.

The total number of Ukrainian children forcibly displaced to Belarus has exceeded 3,500. “From November 2024 to January 2025, at least seven groups of children were illegally moved from the temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine to Belarus. Most of them were from Donetsk, Luhansk and Kherson regions of Ukraine. At least 120 children have become victims of illegal displacement and forced indoctrination on the territory of Belarus,” Pavel Latushka, deputy head of the United Transitional Cabinet and head of the National Anti-Crisis Management said. The documents collected by the National Anti-Crisis Management contain information about the dates and places of birth of the children, the circumstances of their relocation, the program of stay in Belarus, as well as the sources of information confirming the data (photographs, videos, documents).

On February 25, human rights activists recognized 14 more persons as political prisoners.
On February 26, 19 more persons were recognized as political prisoners. Human rights activists consider the persecution and imprisonment of these people to be politically motivated and demand their immediate release.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has recognized the “Mediazona. Belarus” media as an “extremist formation” for “organizing activities to prepare for the commission of encroachments on the sovereignty and public security of the Republic of Belarus, discrediting and insulting officials”. “Mediazona. Belarus” is a project of the “Mediazona” media, which covers events in Belarus. In December 2020, the Belarusian authorities blocked it, and in May 2022, the court recognized “Mediazona. Belarus” and its social networks as “extremist materials”.

In 2024, the Ministry of Information blocked more than 31,150 “destructive” Internet resources. Over the past ten years, about 15,000 “destructive” resources have been blocked. The data was provided by Information Minister Marat Markau. He called it an “information struggle” and said that billions were being invested in “undermining the situation” in Belarus. Website blocking is one of the methods of the Belarusian regime’s struggle against unwanted content. The authorities also declare Internet resources to be “extremist materials” and “extremist formations.” Among those blocked over the past year were the website of the bookstore Knigayka, the website of the initiative to help families of political prisoners IneedHelpBY, the website of the Community of Railway Workers of Belarus, and the Pismo.bel service for sending letters to convicts.

On February 27, a trial of political prisoner Aliaksandr Frantskevich began in the Orsha district and Orsha court. He is accused of malicious disobedience to the colony administration. Six months ago, in October 2024, he was already tried under this charge and was sentenced to another year of imprisonment. A trial of Frantskevich’s mother and aunt began this February as well. They are accused of facilitating “extremist activities.”

Andrei Parotnikau, head of the Belarus Security Blog analytical center and a military expert, was sentenced to ten years of imprisonment. He was tried in October 2024, but the sentence was unknown. The Country for Life initiative has now reported about the verdict. Parotnikau was tried on charges of high treason, conspiracy or other acts committed with the aim of seizing power, and facilitating extremist activities.

Political prisoner journalist Dzianis Ivashin has no access to phone calls for three months. This was reported by his wife Volha. “Unfortunately, the miracle did not happen — Dzianis Ivashin did not call us in February. This means that for exactly three calendar months — December, January and February — Dzianis has been deprived of a single 15-minute phone call. He can only keep in touch with us through correspondence,” she wrote on Facebook. According to her, letters and postcards arrived from her husband on February 28. One of the postcards was signed by Ivashin on February 18^th, it took ten days to deliver it. Dzianis Ivashin is a Hrodna journalist. On September 14, 2022, for allegedly interfering in the activities of a police officer and high treason, he was sentenced to 13 years and one month of imprisonment in a high-security colony.

The Lukashenka regime persecutes not only Belarusians, but also foreigners. According to “Viasna” Human Rights Center, 36 foreign political prisoners are being held behind bars in Belarus, and at least 75 foreigners have been subjected to repression since 2020. In 2023, “Viasna” reported 207 detainees at border checks, including EU citizens. Some were released.

Among foreign political prisoners is 44-year-old Estonian citizen Allan Royo. According to human rights activists, he was accused of “creating an extremist group.” Royo was detained in January 2024. Shortly before that, the KGB recognized the Friends of Belarus Foundation, one of the founders of which was Royo, as an “extremist formation”. Despite the fact that the organization was liquidated, two of its founders were detained. Royo has been kept in pretrial detention center for more than a year. According to human rights activists, this is quite a long time for such a case. “It is probably so, because he is a foreign citizen, and there is some hope for the Belarusian regime to bargain for something,” they comment.

A trial of Nakanishi Masatoshi, a Japanese citizen, continues in Minsk. The hearing of the case began in the Minsk City Court on January 10. The next hearing, according to the court schedule, will be held on March 10. The trial is held behind closed doors. Masatoshi is accused of espionage activities and faces up to seven years of imprisonment. Human rights activists have recognized Masatoshi as a political prisoner.

On February 24, at the 58^th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhankau proposed “a global reset in the field of human rights in order to minimize the conflict potential of human rights issues”. He said that the reset should take into account the diversity of political systems, development paths and cultural traditions and establish a clear ban “on any hierarchy in human rights and double standards”. “We are ready to support the UN leadership in initiatives aimed at sustainability and equity in international relations. But if individual countries do not stop manipulating human rights issues, we will not solve anything,” Ryzhankau said. He commented that Belarus has been “labeled with a million labels in the field of human rights,” and called these accusations absurd. “The real crisis of democracy”, – Ryzhankau said, “is Europe itself, which violates all basic human values, which is already understood in the White House.” On February 26, Ryzhankau held a meeting with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. He stated that Belarus “will continue to resist the manipulation of human rights instruments, which leads to the fact that human rights in the so-called permanent democracies degraded dramatically,” while the Office of the High Commissioner allegedly “concentrated on countries unwanted by the West, including Belarus.” Ryzhankau invited the High Commissioner to visit Belarus to personally get acquainted with “the real human rights situation in the country.”

The United Transitional Cabinet, in accordance with the relevant resolution of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, awarded several people with medals. Former political prisoner Palina Sharenda-Panasyuk was awarded the “Niepokorennye” (“Unsubdued”) Medal by Larysa Heniyush.

By the end of 2024, Belarus scored seven out of 100 points in the ranking of political and civil liberties compiled by the Freedom House human rights organization. In the category of political rights, Belarus received one point out of 40, and civil liberties were rated at six points out of 60. According to the Freedom House classification, Belarus belongs to the category of non-free countries. Approximately the same situation with civil liberties is observed, according to the rating, in Chad, Venezuela, Rwanda, Azerbaijan and Russia.

On February 24, representatives of the Lukashenka regime actively commented on the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. Pro-government expert Vadzim Hihin stated: “Today, I was thinking about what to write on the third anniversary of the Special Military Operation (“SVO”)? Clearly, over this time, we have become stronger. Our Union State has proven its viability and efficiency <…> But among other things, the UN General Assembly vote on the third anniversary of the SMO (two resolutions at once) is also a certain result. Who would have thought three years ago that Russia and the U.S. would essentially find themselves in the same boat?” Member of “Parliament” Siarhei Klishevich stated on Alpha Radio that Belarusians should take into account the “bloody example” of Ukraine, which is “ceasing to exist,” to prevent a similar scenario in Belarus. According to him, Western politicians view Belarusians “in exactly the same way,” seeing them merely as “material for profit.” In an article for SB. Belarus Today, military expert Aliaksandr Tsishchanka referred to the U.S. as “the absolute rights-holder of Ukraine” and suggested that the country “plans to become the 51st American state.” “Zelenskyy is not just selling off Ukraine; he is transferring it under American jurisdiction. Along with Ukrainian resources, he wants to hand over his trenches in the war against Russia to the Pentagon. Under the new conditions of a 100% finalized deal, everything in Ukraine is becoming American, legally justifying American presence and direct intervention in the ongoing conflict,” he claimed.

On February 26, the Belarusian diplomatic mission to the EU commented on the latest sanctions update against Belarus. Lukashenka-controlled diplomats ignored the consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (including through Belarusian territory) but thoroughly described the damage that, in their view, the sanctions would inflict on the EU itself. At the same time, they emphasized that Belarus “remains interested in resuming an equal dialogue with the EU.”

Speaking at the 58^th session of the UN Human Rights Council on February 24, Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhankou “once again reminded the world of the hypocrisy of European elites and the EU authorities’ inability to fulfill their direct responsibilities.” He also denounced “fanatical Western propaganda,” as reported by “First Informational.” In his speech, Ryzhankou called for a “global reset in the field of human rights” and expressed willingness to support the UN leadership “in initiatives aimed at sustainability and fairness in international relations,” but warned that “certain countries” must stop “manipulating the human rights agenda.” “We are all tired of so-called ‘developed democracies’ doing whatever suits them while committing human rights violations themselves. Belarus has repeatedly warned against such ‘fluctuations’ and the invention of dubious human rights concepts. When will they finally understand in the West that human rights are a platform for dialogue and cooperation, not confrontation? That there is no universal model for implementing human rights?” he said. Speaking at the UN Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Ryzhankou stated that Belarus allegedly does not intend to engage in an arms race. He claimed that for the first time since the early 1980s, the world has returned to a point where the nuclear threat is visible and accused Western countries of increasing military spending. The minister highlighted that Belarus is taking “response measures to ensure national security and strengthen defense capabilities,” including “with the support of its closest ally.” “Enough talk about the ‘Russian threat.’ They are not going anywhere! Not to Berlin, not to Paris. Stop feeding into the rhetoric of military-industrial committees and their affiliated political circles. This is especially directed at NATO!” he said emotionally. “We signed a security agreement between Russia and Belarus within the Union State, which provides for the use of all types of weapons, including nuclear, to protect Belarus. Russian ballistic missiles ‘Oreshnik’ will be deployed on Belarusian territory exclusively for defensive purposes,” he added, emphasizing that this was a “forced measure” since Belarus once trusted Western countries and abandoned its nuclear weapons “without any conditions or reservations,” but the Budapest Memorandum guarantees “were trampled by the West,” so Belarusian authorities “have returned to the original point.”

On February 26, Andrei Shved, head of the so-called “Return Commission” and Belarusian Prosecutor General, stated that the commission reviewed 241 applications. More than 30 citizens received a positive response, and 20 people returned to Belarus. “Even parents of young people who fear returning to our country have started reaching out. We notice a certain level of activity,” he said. According to him, those who return are encouraged to “tell the truth about what life abroad was like for them and how Belarusians are really treated” so that their compatriots can see “the true face of our neighbors, especially those on our western border, who try to teach us something.” On February 27, during a final meeting of the Ministry of Information, Deputy Head of Lukashenka’s Administration Uladzimir Piartsou also touched on the topic of opposition figures expelled from the country, focusing on independent Belarusian media. “We will not be complacent or rest on our laurels, as those still opposing us on the other side of the barricades are technologically advanced and cunning. They may be temporarily limited in major financial resources, but they will eventually acquire them, and the confrontation will undoubtedly continue.” According to him, the primary battleground will be “the minds of the younger generation who will vote in 2030.”

On February 27, Aliaksandr Lukashenka unexpectedly gave a 1.5-hour interview to American blogger Mario Nawfal. In this interview, he stated that Vladimir Putin is ready for negotiations to resolve the situation in Ukraine, including with the Ukrainian side. However, he predicted that the Kremlin would “never agree” to the deployment of European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine. According to him, Russia is “categorically against any peacekeeping forces from European states.” Lukashenka also suggested that a potential rare earth metals deal between Ukraine and the U.S. could “alarm” the Kremlin if it goes beyond economic relations. In his view, Russian authorities “might find it unpleasant” that the “powerful state” of the U.S. is extracting minerals and establishing enterprises “right outside their window,” but Russia “will endure it.”

After the historic conversation between Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump, along with Vice President J.D. Vance, which took place live at the White House on February 28, representatives of the Belarusian regime “forgot” that just that morning they had accused Zelenskyy of “selling out Ukraine.” Instead, they began actively promoting a new narrative, claiming that it was his “arrogance and inadequacy” that led to the irrevocable loss of any chance for peace negotiations. Lyudmila Hladkaya stated: “… it is important to remember: it was Zelenskyy who disrupted peace. This means that people will continue to die on the front lines, cities and villages will continue to empty, and the country will continue to fall.” Additionally, Belarusian propagandists expressed joy over the claim that U.S. authorities were allegedly getting rid of Zelenskyy, with MP Siarhei Klishevich referring to him as “unsellable stock.” Many of them reposted the official commentary of diplomat Siarhei Rachkou, in which he noted that the “inexperienced politician” Zelenskyy “fell into a staged provocation aimed primarily at discrediting him in the eyes of the American public in order to justify a shift in U.S. strategy towards Ukraine.” Rachkou wrote that in the U.S., Zelenskyy is already considered a “toxic and failed leader,” who has been subjected to a “public whipping” and is being “written off as useless.” Pro-government expert Aliaksandr Shpakouski agreed with Rachkou, stating that the event would only be significant “if the U.S. completely ceases military and financial aid to Ukraine,” as in his opinion, “Trump’s position remains unstable,” since globalists in the EU “are counting on reversing everything back.”