Belarusian, Lithuanian politicians discussing strategy, seeing Ukraine talks as an opportunity
Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja and Juozas Olekas, first vice speaker
March 26, Pozirk. Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja has said at a roundtable conference at the Lithuanian Seimas that Alaksandar Łukašenka’s government is confused amid Ukraine peace talks because it uses “the war to justify its reprisals and as a source of revenue.”
“The new situation creates difficulties for the regime but may also create new opportunities for the Belarusian democratic movement,” the Belarusian opposition leader said. “So today, I suggest discussing our common strategy to pull Belarus out of Russia’s control and weaken Łukašenka’s and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s regimes to protect ourselves from a new aggression. And, most importantly, to strengthen our societies.”
During the round table on challenges and opportunities facing Belarus and Lithuania, Valer Karbalevič, a Belarusian author and commentator, noted that the key question for Belarus is where the iron curtain will descend, along its western or its eastern border.
Karbalevič recalled that at February’s Munich Security Conference, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that it would be better to draw the line between dictatorship and democracy along Belarus’ eastern border, making Belarus “part of the European community.”
“Clearly, it is impossible to implement that idea as long as Alaksandar Łukašenka’s regime is in power. So we cannot talk about a stable peace in our region without democratic transformation in Belarus,” he stressed.
In his opinion, Europe underestimated the significance of the 2020 postelection unrest in Belarus.
“European politicians considered it to be a domestic political problem or conflict, a problem of democracy and human rights . . . But . . . the unsolved domestic political problem in Belarus soon spilled over its borders,” he said. “Łukašenka’s regime has transformed into a major . . . threat to regional security from a government that considered itself a security donor. I mean the problem of migrant attacks on its neighbors, the [forced] landing of an aircraft with an opposition activist, support for Russia in its war against Ukraine, the deployment of nuclear weapons, and possible deployment of the Oreshnik missile system in the near future.”
“Belarus’ internal political issue is not only Belarusians’ problem. It should be [viewed as] a serious problem for the European community,” Karbalevič added.
Lithuanian MP calls for joint effort to consolidate Belarusian freedom
March 25, Pozirk. Belarusians stand united as never before but today their survival and freedom are linked to the Euro-Atlantic alliance, Lithuanian MP Žygimantas Pavilionis has said as the white-red-white flag was raised near the Seimas on Belarusian Freedom Day. …