In March, Belarusian propaganda intensified its focus on foreign policy: the alliance with Russia, partnership with China, and wariness toward the West. Ukraine was increasingly referred to as “part of the Slavic world”, while the European Union was portrayed as a source of threats.
At the same time – against the backdrop of Lukashenka “inauguration” – there was a push to heroize him and cement his image as the “only legitimate leader of the country”. These and other propaganda narratives from this spring are covered in ISANS’s latest propaganda review.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
- In March, Lukashenka took office as president of Belarus for the seventh time. Taking into account this cadence, his total experience in power may amount to 35 years. Belarusian propaganda tries to find an explanation for the society why one person should be in power for so long, and for this purpose mythologizes Lukashenka’s place and role in the recent history of Belarus.
- The propaganda speaks about the exceptional importance and inviolability of the union with Russia, but the “president” himself regularly makes it clear that Belarus is not going to become part of Russia. In March, he also spoke about it in Moscow, at a meeting with members of the Federation Council of Russia.
- Belarusian democratic forces are still the main target of propaganda attacks. In March, Lukashenka made threats against certain “public people” who “sit quietly,” apparently from those who supported the 2020 protests and are still in the country. Such a statement could signal the beginning of a new round of political repression.
- The closure of the Federal Agency for International Development (USAID) and other similar foundations by the Donald Trump administration has been greeted with great approval by pro-government commentators.
- Propagandists are excited about Trump’s actions in the field of foreign policy, especially with regard to the war in Ukraine. Skeptics, however, call to prepare for pressure on Russia and Belarus. Others even advise against trusting Trump and the West in general, focusing on an alliance with Russia and strengthening partnerships with China, Iran, and North Korea.
You can read or download the whole monitoring of propaganda in RB for March 2025 at this link.
Материал доступен на русском языке: «Союз России, США и Беларуси». Беларусская пропаганда – о новых перспективах мирового порядка
