Belarusian daily: “And now I will show you where the attack on Belarus was going to come from,” Lukashenko says, and it’s not a joke – Diary N

Despite massive repression and arrests, Belarusians and Belarusians began protesting against Alexander Lukashenko’s regime every Sunday after rigged elections. On the same day, he writes his Belarusian daily Maks from Minsk. Given the dire situation in which local journalists find themselves, we have decided not to publish his full name. It is not for nothing that in 2020 Alexander Lukashenko, the former president of Belarus, was compared to a cockroach. This politician shows miracles of viability. Despite all its mistakes and obvious problems with legitimacy and money, it still forcibly maintains power in Belarus. It already seemed that Russia’s attack on Ukraine with Lukashenko’s complicity would finally open his eyes to the dictator’s crimes. This is partly the case: strong sanctions are also being imposed on Belarus, transit routes are being closed and further measures are being taken than against the aggressor country. But there is one nuance. Some measures Europe and the US are only introducing against Russia and forget about Belarus. The OSCE report states that Belarus has not been a party to the military conflict since 1 April. Despite the fact that the country allows Russia to use its territory for attacks on the territory of Ukraine. The third article of UN General Assembly Resolution no. 3314 clearly defines such conduct as an act of aggression. What is the danger to civil society? Lukashenko can again escape punishment for his heinous crimes. In the context of the war and the crimes of Putin and the Russian army, Lukashenko may seem “not the greatest evil.” In addition, Lukashenko is said to have instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to re-establish contacts in Europe with a view to re-establishing cooperation. Democratic forces in Belarus see this as a danger. That Lukashenko will go unpunished again, although the human rights situation in Belarus is not only not improving, but is constantly deteriorating. The number of political prisoners has already exceeded 1,100 and continues to grow; journalists and the NGO sector continue to be repressed; more than 1,000 Belarusians have been arrested since the beginning of the war for anti-war speeches (we mean everything: stocks, official letters, graffiti or simply ribbons in the colors of Ukraine on clothes). Laws didn’t work before and they don’t work now. And in this context, we fear that the dictator may claim comfortable conditions so that he can continue to usurp the people. It has something to offer: the Belarusian army has still not entered the war. This is probably being discussed during dictatorial visits to Moscow. This is probably what diplomats are threatening in their communication with European contacts. In complete isolation, there is also a potential threat to Belarus’ sovereignty. Some experts fear that imposing similar sanctions on the country would be tantamount to absorbing Belarus from Russia. The Belarusian regime cannot cope with such isolation on its own, and Lukashenko has nothing to offer Putin except to join Russia. Especially if we deviate from the topic of war. Lukashenko is a criminal and a dictator, not mine After Lukashenko’s statement on pre-emptive strikes on Ukraine, the dictator has become mine again. The video in which he says: “And now I will show you where the attack on Belarus was coming from” has become viral. Millions of parody views on social media. It ‘s right to make fun of outrageous lies. But there is one nuance. In addition to the infinite number of memes, who should be Alexander Lukashenko should not be forgotten. He is a mad dictator who has usurped power in the country. At his command, they kill and rape people, torture in prisons, beat and shoot dissenters. It is his fault that Russian troops are now attacking Ukraine from Belarus. Now the dictator wants security guarantees for Belarus, but the truth is that one of the main threats to Belarus is Alexander Lukashenko himself. It is his policy that has led Belarus into the deep crisis we are witnessing. It was his policy that, until recently, artificially created a migration crisis at the European Union’s external border. It was his policy that led to Russia attacking Ukraine, including from Belarus. It is his policy that creates permanent uncertainty in the region. Lukashenko is the cause of crises not only within the country but also in neighboring countries. He is constantly lying. Since 2014, Alexander Lukashenko has repeatedly stated that “no one will ever” attack Ukraine from Belarus. But it happened. The Belarusian people are a guarantor of independence and predictability for their neighbors Only real democratic change will bring security and independence to Belarus and at the same time remove the “point of unpredictability” from the region. Belarusians are peaceful people not only according to the lines of the Belarusian anthem. We are against the war, we want normal and mutually beneficial relations with our neighbors. If we had a choice, we would never allow Russian troops to attack Ukraine from our country. Lukashenko must be punished – he must not forget. He is one of those who started Russia’s war against Ukraine. We do not know how things would have turned out if Putin had no guarantee from Lukashenko to use Belarusian territory. However, we know that Belarusians would never agree to such things. Therefore, if anything can be taken over with Lukashenko at all during the war negotiations, it is his resignation. Translated from Russian by Diana Shvedová. The Belarusian daily is published with the support of SlovakAid.