KEY EVENTS IN APRIL AND PROPAGANDA REACTIONS
Belarus
- Propaganda plays an important role in maintaining a system of social control in Belarus. There is an ideological consolidation of internal power embodied by “president” Aliaksandr Lukashenka. His image is being cultivated as the primary unifying figure for society. Belarus is portrayed as a peaceful, calm, and stable country whose prosperity has been achieved thanks to the “president’s” efforts.
- In an interview with RT, Aliaksandr Lukashenka openly admitted, without the slightest embarrassment, that the 2020 election had been rigged in his favor. He claimed to have the highest approval rating, once again praised Putin and Trump, and criticized the Ukrainian people for “choosing such a president.”
- In April, YouTube blocked the channels of three Belarusian state media outlets: BELTA, STV, and ONT. Propagandists immediately began speaking in unison about a “Western attack on media freedom in Belarus.”
- “Day of Unity of the Peoples,” an official holiday commemorating the establishment of the “Belarus-Russia Community” in 1996, was celebrated at the highest level. Propaganda extolled the “friendly union.”
- Propagandists continue to view democratic forces as the main threat to the regime and are intimidating the public with the prospect of the opposition coming to power.
- The Supreme Court of Belarus designated the European Humanities University (EHU) as an extremist organization. Pro-government media welcomed this decision and threatened students, alumni, and teachers, as well as their relatives still in Belarus, with extremism-related criminal charges.
War in Ukraine
- Propaganda continues to support Russia’s military aggression. Calls for an end to the war from pro-government media are, in fact, intended to pressure Ukraine’s leadership into making concessions and signing a peace agreement on Moscow’s terms.
- During the “Easter ceasefire” on the frontline, propaganda media accused Ukraine of violating the agreement, even though it was Russia that repeatedly shelled peaceful cities with missiles and drones during the “period of peace.” Ukraine is also portrayed as the party that refuses to engage in peace talks.
The “Collective West”
- In propaganda narratives, Europe is portrayed as the most hostile part of the West. European countries, especially Belarus’s immediate western neighbors – Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia – are allegedly making aggressive plans against the “friendly alliance” of Belarus and Russia.
Pro-Kremlin propagandists blamed Ukraine and the European Union for the defeat of Viktor Orban’s party in Hungary’s parliamentary elections.
You can read or download the whole monitoring of Belarusian propaganda (April 2026) at this link.
Материал доступен на русском языке: «Вся Беларусь — это памятник Лукашенко». Основные нарративы беларусской пропаганды в апреле 2026
