{"id":11417,"date":"2022-05-23T16:36:29","date_gmt":"2022-05-23T13:36:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/longreads\/lukasenka-regime-plunges-belarus-into-totalitarianism\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","slug":"lukasenka-regime-plunges-belarus-into-totalitarianism","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11417\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0141uka\u0161enka regime plunges Belarus into totalitarianism"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n By Valieryj Karbalievi\u010d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t * Reproduction prohibited\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Last week\u2019s summit meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) emphasized Moscow\u2019s isolation. It has just one ally. It was the first CSTO summit since Russia invaded Ukraine.\n<\/p>\n

Belarusian leader is only one to back Putin<\/span> <\/h2>\n

\n\t Vladimir Putin used the May 16 CSTO summit to criticize the West, the United States and Ukraine. The Russian leader steered clear of harsh criticism and only called for coordinated action in the United Nations and other multilateral platforms.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Alaksandr \u0141uka\u0161enka was much more aggressive. He slammed the CSTO members for a lack of support for Russia and Belarus.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t “Who prevents us from using the allied resources, as the EU does? We will be crushed one by one and torn apart. The collective West will build up its own pressure, without meeting joint resistance from the [CSTO] allies,” he said.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The leaders of Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan appeared to ignore his tirades. The Central Asian leaders raised concern about Afghanistan, while the Armenian leader was eager to discuss Armenia\u2019s conflict with Azerbaijan. The final declaration lacks a statement of support for Russia and Belarus in their conflict with Ukraine and the West.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Refusal by the leaders of CSTO member states to back Russia is a major setback for Putin who has only one ally in Belarus.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Before launching his assault on Ukraine, Putin made it crystal clear that he did not recognize the Soviet Union\u2019s disintegration and national borders documented in 1991. The Russian leader asserted Moscow\u2019s historical, moral and political right to reverse what he called the geopolitical catastrophe. He sees Ukraine as Russian land and wants to take it by force. That is why other CSTO allies worry that their countries may soon find themselves to be the next target of Russian expansion.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The CSTO countries also try to avoid Western sanctions, especially now that the West has demonstrated its strength and unity.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The sanctions have weakened Russia. It is no longer perceived as a guarantor of security in the CSTO region. CSTO member states are looking for other solutions.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \u0141uka\u0161enka and Putin met face to face after the summit to discuss a joint effort to mitigate the sanctions, including import substitution and the use of Russian sea ports for Belarusian transits.\n<\/p>\n

Minsk eyes state-of-the-art weapons<\/span> <\/h2>\n

\n\t In the last couple of weeks, \u0141uka\u0161enka said that Belarus would like to buy advanced missile systems from Russia and would like to receive technical assistance from Moscow in developing own missiles.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t On May 19, he told a Russian regional governor that Minsk had bought Iskander and S-400 systems from Russia.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The conflicting statements may be part of \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s tactic to keep up pressure on the West to force it to engage and eventually lift sanctions. Last year, he used illegal migrants as a blackmail tool, this year he uses missiles.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Surprise drills involving territorial defense were also part of the effort. In addition, the tactic was intended to help Russia by forcing Ukraine to keep troops at the border with Belarus. That was also an attempt by Minsk to appease the Kremlin, which might be angry at \u0141uka\u0161enka for not sending troops to Ukraine.\n<\/p>\n

Attacks on Belarusian publishers, authors<\/span> <\/h2>\n

\n\t Meanwhile, the Belarusian government has turned its fire on Belarusian literature and culture. Law enforcement officers raided the Kniha\u016dka book store in Minsk and arrested its founder, prominent publisher Andrej Janu\u0161kievi\u010d. Authorities in some cities have banned George Orwell\u2019s 1984. Authorities also declared Sabaki Je\u016dropy (Dogs of Europe) by Alhierd Bacharevi\u010d extremist material and ordered the closure of an exhibition of sculptures in Hrodna.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Attacks on books, culture and dissent and attempts to control people\u2019s minds are clear signs of transformation from authoritarianism into totalitarianism.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Following the 2020 post-election protests, \u0141uka\u0161enka relies on violence and intimidation for holding on to power. He has forced many of his critics to flee the country. Attacks on the independent media might have helped state-controlled outlets gain some ground. State propaganda may have an effect on public sentiment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Valieryj Karbalievi\u010d * Reproduction prohibited Last week\u2019s summit meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) emphasized Moscow\u2019s isolation. It has just one ally. It was the first CSTO summit since Russia invaded Ukraine. Belarusian leader is only one to back Putin Vladimir Putin used the May 16 CSTO summit to criticize the West, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[22],"class_list":["post-11417","longreads","type-longreads","status-publish","hentry","rubric-theviewer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\u0141uka\u0161enka regime plunges Belarus into totalitarianism | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"By Valieryj Karbalievi\u010d * Reproduction prohibited Last week\u2019s summit meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) emphasized Moscow\u2019s\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11417\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u0141uka\u0161enka regime plunges 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