{"id":11556,"date":"2023-04-15T14:20:11","date_gmt":"2023-04-15T11:20:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/longreads\/lukasenka-sees-nuclear-weapons-as-his-security-guarantee-ignores-public-opinion\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","slug":"lukasenka-sees-nuclear-weapons-as-his-security-guarantee-ignores-public-opinion","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11556\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0141uka\u0161enka sees nuclear weapons as his security guarantee, ignores public opinion"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n By Alaksandr K\u0142asko\u016dski, BPN<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n Alaksandr \u0141uka\u0161enka nuclear dealings with the Kremlin are not supported by the majority of Belarusians, found a recent survey. The Belarusian strongman sees nuclear weapons as a magic wand that can help him hold on to power under any circumstances.<\/b><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Seventy-four percent of Belarusians in urban areas disapprove of Russia\u2019s plan to site nuclear munitions in Belarus, according to the survey conducted from March 15 to 27 by the Belarusian Initiative, a joint project by Chatham House and the Center of New Ideas.\n<\/p>\n

Belarusians not excited by prospect of nuclear apocalypse <\/h2>\n

\n\t In an interview with the Rossiya 24<\/span> TV channel on March 25, Vladimir Putin said that Russia would store nuclear munitions at a special storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons to be completed in Belarus by July 1.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t “We don’t pass [nuclear weapons to Belarus]. And the USA does not pass them to its allies. Basically, we do everything that it has been doing for decades. It has them in certain allied countries, preparing their carriers and their crews,” he said.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Alaksandr \u0141uka\u0161enka defended the Russian plan, noting a few days later that the nuclear bombs would boost Belarus\u2019 security.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The poll showed that 44 percent of Belarusians living in cities and towns disapprove, and 30 percent somewhat disapprove of the plan, while only 10 percent approve, and 15 percent somewhat approve of it.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Although the proportion of nuclear deployment opponents fell from 82 percent in August, it has not changed dramatically.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Despite the intense propaganda in favor of the nuclear plan, authorities are unlikely to convince a considerable number of opponents. Most Belarusians seem to realize that nuclear weapons expose the country to retaliation strikes.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Notably, 58 percent of respondents who follow the state media are opposed to the deployment.\n<\/p>\n

Propaganda has an impact<\/h2>\n

\n\t The government\u2019s effort to weed out critical media outlets and ramp up propaganda has had an impact on the public opinion.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The government has forced most independent media outlets to shut down or flee the country. Recently, it has silenced Infa Kurjer<\/span> in S\u0142uck and Rehijanalnaja Hazieta<\/span> in Ma\u0142adze\u010dna.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Authorities have restricted access to Belarusian content created abroad, designated critical media outlets as extremist and arrested opposition media followers.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Some former opposition media subscribers have been forced to rely on the state media for information. The government discourse has had an impact on the public opinion, the pollster said.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Fewer respondents (15 percent) were expecting Ukraine to win the war against Russia in March 2023. The share was down from 21 percent one year earlier. The proportion of those looking forward to Russia\u2019s win has not changed (45 percent).\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Support for Russia\u2019s campaign in Ukraine rose to 33 percent from 30 percent, while disapproval of its campaign stood at 44 percent.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Meanwhile, support for the idea of Belarusian troops involvement in fighting on the Russian side remains negligible (just three percent).\n<\/p>\n

Mass protests unlikely<\/h2>\n

\n\t \u0141uka\u0161enka is confident that Belarusians will to take to the street to protest the deployment of Russian nuclear warheads in Belarus. Police are well equipped and trained to suppress small local protests.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t However, his hypothetical order to march into Ukraine would be a problem for his regime. He is aware of that and seems to have persuaded Vladimir Putin that it is a bad idea. But who knows how the Russian president will respond to the much-advertised Ukrainian offensive? Putin may need Belarusian cannon fodder quite soon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Alaksandr K\u0142asko\u016dski, BPN Alaksandr \u0141uka\u0161enka nuclear dealings with the Kremlin are not supported by the majority of Belarusians, found a recent survey. The Belarusian strongman sees nuclear weapons as a magic wand that can help him hold on to power under any circumstances. Seventy-four percent of Belarusians in urban areas disapprove of Russia\u2019s plan to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[22],"class_list":["post-11556","longreads","type-longreads","status-publish","hentry","rubric-theviewer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\u0141uka\u0161enka sees nuclear weapons as his security guarantee, ignores public opinion | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"By Alaksandr K\u0142asko\u016dski, BPN Alaksandr \u0141uka\u0161enka nuclear dealings with the Kremlin are not supported by the majority of Belarusians, found a recent\" \/>\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\/11556\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u0141uka\u0161enka sees 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