Belarusian opposition calls invasion of Ukraine international crime by Kremlin, Łukašenka

February 24, BPN. The Belarusian opposition cabinet has called aggression against Ukraine “an international crime on the part of Russia and the Łukašenka regime.”

In a statement on the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, it expressed solidarity with the people of Ukraine fighting for independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“The democratic Belarus supports the UN General Assembly’s resolution of February 23, 2023 on the need to establish a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine as soon as possible in accordance with the UN Charter,” it said.

“We call on the governments of all countries to provide Ukraine with all necessary assistance, including weapons, to fight off Russian invaders,” it added.

The opposition cabinet described support of Ukraine on the way to a “decisive victory” as its own strategic priority, and expressed willingness to “build a joint strategy with the Ukrainian government to counter Russian aggression.”

On February 24, an aide told BPN that the cabinet’s chairwoman Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja and the Ukrainian delegation led by senior MP Mykyta Poturaiev met in Vienna, where they came for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s session.

“They discussed options to act in the international arena together in order to stop Putin’s and Łukašenka’s aggression. They also touched on anti-Ukrainian propaganda,” the aide to Cichanoŭskaja said.

Russia has repeatedly struck Ukraine from Belarusian territory, where it has an increased military presence. It used Belarus as a launchpad for its February 2022 offensive on Kyiv. At the same time, Belarus says its troops are not directly involved in hostilities in Ukraine.