{"id":149702,"date":"2025-08-05T18:27:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T15:27:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/149702\/"},"modified":"2025-08-05T18:28:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T15:28:14","slug":"putins-correction-russian-leader-sees-ukraine-and-belarus-as-russia","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/149702\/","title":{"rendered":"Putin\u2019s correction: Russian leader sees Ukraine and Belarus as Russia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

During an August 1 news conference in Valaam, President Vladimir Putin made it unmistakably clear that he considers Ukraine to be Russian territory. His remarks visibly unsettled his guest, Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n (Belarusian leader's press office)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At the event, the Belarusian strongman urged Kyiv to accept Moscow\u2019s conditions without delay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUkraine today must promptly ask him [he gestured at Putin]: \u2018Vladimir Vladimirovich, let us sit at the negotiating table and make a deal,\u2019\u201d \u0141uka\u0161enka said. \u201cOtherwise, in a month, a month and a half or two months, there will be no defensive structures left\u2014the Russians will slowly bite off [Ukrainian territory], capture, advance and reconquer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Putin bristled at the word \u201creconquer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReturn. This belongs to us,\u201d he corrected \u0141uka\u0161enka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, return,\u201d \u0141uka\u0161enka corrected himself with a laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clearly, he did not appreciate the correction. It is evident that he understands Putin views Belarus as Russian territory as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moscow has been eroding Belarusian sovereignty\u2014not just seizing Ukrainian land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Valaam, \u0141uka\u0161enka declared that no one could bring Belarus and Russia to their knees. He frequently professes loyalty to Moscow, but his primary concern is retaining control over Belarus, which he treats as his personal fiefdom. His pro-Russian rhetoric often masks his desire to extract as many resources and concessions from Moscow as possible. However, Russia gives nothing away for free\u2014it has gradually forced him to surrender key elements of Belarusian sovereignty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remarks about Trump<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka also mocked US President Donald Trump\u2019s ultimatum for Moscow to agree to a ceasefire before August 8 or face sweeping new sanctions and tariffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originally set at 50 days, the deadline was abruptly reduced to 10\u201312 days following Russia\u2019s deadly missile strikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFifty, sixty, ten days\u2014that\u2019s not how politics is done,\u201d \u0141uka\u0161enka scoffed. \u201cIf he wants peace, he must get involved carefully and thoroughly. This is a military conflict, and you can\u2019t dictate terms\u2014especially to a nuclear power. Listen, this is just ridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite his criticism, \u0141uka\u0161enka referred to Trump as \u201cour common friend,\u201d noting that both he and Putin had supported him during the US presidential race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minsk has reportedly reached out to the Trump administration, offering pardons for political prisoners in exchange for sanctions relief. However, Trump has been angered by Putin\u2019s refusal to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine\u2014tensions that threaten to derail separate negotiations between Minsk and Washington. If relations between Washington and Moscow deteriorate further, \u0141uka\u0161enka will have little room to maneuver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is likely that during their recent meeting, \u0141uka\u0161enka informed Putin of his ongoing dialogue with American officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka seeks role in Ukraine settlement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In June, \u0141uka\u0161enka made it clear to US diplomats that he would like to participate in any future peace talks on Ukraine. He may be seeking guarantees that Russia will not absorb Belarus once the war in Ukraine ends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also discussed Minsk\u2019s potential role in the Ukraine settlement during his visit to Valaam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keith Kellogg, US presidential special envoy for Ukraine, visited Minsk on July 21. Shortly after that meeting, Belarus released 14 political prisoners, including opposition figure Siarhiej Cichano\u016dski. Kellogg\u2019s visit was likely an attempt to explore a diplomatic path through \u0141uka\u0161enka to reach Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

US envoys previously engaged with \u0141uka\u0161enka in August 2019, during Trump\u2019s first term. John Bolton, then Trump\u2019s national security advisor, later recalled that \u0141uka\u0161enka had warned of Moscow\u2019s threats to Belarusian independence\u2014as well as the risks it posed to Poland and other NATO countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is therefore highly probable that \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s rhetoric in the meeting with Kellogg was quite different from his talk of \u201cbrotherhood\u201d with Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka has likely not changed his view of Russia as an existential threat to Belarus. He is well aware that Putin sees Belarusian independence as a historical mistake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russia uses Belarus to blackmail the West<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Putin announced he might deploy Oreshnik missile systems to Belarus before the end of the year. \u0141uka\u0161enka has repeatedly described the presence of Russian missiles and nuclear weapons in Belarus as a \u201csecurity guarantee.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Putin, however, sees Belarus as a strategic outpost\u2014a platform from which to threaten the West.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moscow shows little concern over Russian attack drones entering Belarusian airspace as it intensifies airstrikes on Ukraine. If the Kremlin were to test NATO\u2019s resolve, it would likely do so via Belarus, hoping that any retaliatory strikes would hit Belarusian\u2014not Russian\u2014territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The alliance with the Russian empire poses risks not only for \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s regime, but for the entire Belarusian nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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