{"id":11427,"date":"2022-06-05T21:37:35","date_gmt":"2022-06-05T18:37:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/longreads\/lukasenka-wants-to-have-more-armed-people-on-his-side\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","slug":"lukasenka-wants-to-have-more-armed-people-on-his-side","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11427\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0141uka\u0161enka wants to have more armed people on his side"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n By Valeryj Karbalevi\u010d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n The 2020 mass protests have become history. Alaksandr \u0141uka\u0161enka is in control but fears of a new uprising. He is thinking of new mechanisms to extend his tenure.<\/b>\n<\/p>\n

Armed rescuers, volunteer corps<\/span> <\/h2>\n

\n\t The Belarusian ruler said last week that Belarus will form volunteer corps as a back-up for territorial defense forces.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t He warned against \u201cuncontrollable distribution of guns like it occurred in Ukraine.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \u201cWe need, just in case, to have a volunteer corps, a group of people under every village soviet [elected council]. It will not be a big group. Maybe 50 people. They should keep their weapons somewhere in the storehouse. When we call them for training, they will take their automatic rifles (it will mainly be an automatic rifle, a grenade launcher, a pistol) so that they can protect their home,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Authorities have already issued guns to about 2,000 rescue workers. \u201cHere are two thousand. We have already given them weapons and everything, and are starting to train them,\u201d he said at the opening of a new children\u2019s clinic in Minsk on June 3.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t One day earlier, he met with Ihar \u0160u\u0144evi\u010d, ex-interior minister, to discuss forming a volunteer force of about 5,000 hunters.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \u0141uka\u0161enka wants to arm as many of his supporters as possible, expecting them to defend him against a new possible uprising.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t However, he can never be sure that the armed personnel will be loyal to him. If there were up to 50 armed men under each local soviet (elected council) in 2020, he would not be able to suppress protests that followed the disputed presidential election. Confronted by armed protesters, security forces would be more likely to retreat.\n<\/p>\n

Sanctions hit the economy<\/span> <\/h2>\n

\n\t After a month of heated debate, the European Union (EU) last week approved the sixth package of sanctions against Russia and Belarus over aggression against Ukraine. Washington also approved new measures.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t It took the EU long to reach the agreement because the sanctions are expected to backfire. However, the EU seems determined to take significant risks to defeat the aggressor.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The new package includes a ban on shipments of crude and some petroleum products from Russia by sea. The EU is to cut around 90 percent of oil imports from Russia by the end of the year. The sanctions are intended to weaken Russia as an energy superpower. The measures are likely to undermine Russia\u2019s ability to finance the \u0141uka\u0161enka regime.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The EU barred European companies from dealing with eight Belarusian companies, including the potash giant Bie\u0142aruskali, Belarusian Potash Company, Inter Tobacco and Naftan refinery. The bloc will disconnect Bie\u0142investbank from SWIFT.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \u0141uka\u0161enka held a special government meeting last week to discuss efforts to mitigate the sanctions.\n<\/p>\n

Moscow, Minsk seek concessions in return for easing blockade of Ukrainian ports<\/span> <\/h2>\n

\n\t On June 3, \u0141uka\u0161enka had a phone conversation with the UN secretary general to discuss overland routes for millions of tons of grain stuck in Ukraine because of Russia\u2019s months-long blockade of that country\u2019s ports.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Logistically, railing the grain out of Ukraine through Belarus to the Baltic states would be the shortest and quickest route because the countries involved have the same railway gauge.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t But many view the efforts as marginal fixes to a much larger problem that cannot be completely resolved until Russia eases its blockade, particularly of Ukraine’s biggest port in Odessa, which has been surrounded by Russian warships for months.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t 1. The UN proposes that the United States and European Union ease the embargo on exports of potash fertilizers from Belarus and Russia to open up a route to transport grain via Belarus.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t 2. Washington considers suspending the embargo in return for grain transit to the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda. US officials have hunted for alternative routes to export at least some of Ukraine’s harvest, including railing and trucking it through the western parts of the country and using sea ports outside of Ukraine.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t 3. Lithuanian President Gitanas Naudeda said that the EU is opposed to easing the Belarus sanctions.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t 4. \u0141uka\u0161enka said that Belarus would allow grain transits if Germany, Poland and the Baltic countries opened their ports to Belarusian goods. In other words, he wants all sanctions lifted.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t 5. The Russians believe they have leverage by blocking ships from safely transiting the Black Sea. The Belarusian route could ease the blockade.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Russian President Vladimir Putin said on June 3 that Moscow could let Ukraine export its gran via the Russian-held ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk, Ukrainian ports and by rail through Romania, Poland and Belarus. He also called for lifting the Belarus sanctions.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Ukraine is the world’s fourth-largest exporter of corn and the fifth-largest exporter of wheat.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Turkey will likely play a significant role in brokering any potential solution to the blockade, as the country controls routes into and out of the Black Sea.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov plans to visit Turkey on June 8 to discuss a sea corridor for Ukrainian exports, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said last week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Valeryj Karbalevi\u010d The 2020 mass protests have become history. Alaksandr \u0141uka\u0161enka is in control but fears of a new uprising. He is thinking of new mechanisms to extend his tenure. Armed rescuers, volunteer corps The Belarusian ruler said last week that Belarus will form volunteer corps as a back-up for territorial defense forces. He […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[22],"class_list":["post-11427","longreads","type-longreads","status-publish","hentry","rubric-theviewer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\u0141uka\u0161enka wants to have more armed people on his side | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"By Valeryj Karbalevi\u010d The 2020 mass protests have become history. Alaksandr \u0141uka\u0161enka is in control but fears of a new uprising. 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