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☆ Belarus Leader to Visit China Amid Flurry of Ukraine Diplomacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Jing Yang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has paid several state visits to China. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko will visit China next week, as Beijing has sought to play a more active role in diplomacy around the war while supporting its close partner Russia. Mr. Lukashenko is scheduled to pay a state visit to China from Feb. 28 to March 3, Chinese state media reported Saturday. The trip comes amid a flurry of diplomacy around the anniversary of the Ukraine war. China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, visited Russia this week, around the same time as President Biden made a surprise trip to Kyiv.

☆ Belarus leader Lukashenko says he had long chat with Putin on war anniversary
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 25 (Reuters) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he held a long conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday, the one-year anniversary of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Lukashenko has denied the election was rigged and accused the West of funding protesters. He has supported Putin in his year-long war with Ukraine, including by letting him invade from Belarusian territory and by allowing Russia to train newly mobilised troops in Belarus. Russia and Belarus are allied in a "Union State" in which Moscow is by far the dominant partner, but Lukashenko dismissed media reports this week that Russia had drawn up a plan to absorb Belarus by 2030. Separately, the state news agency Belta said Lukashenko would start a three-day visit to China on Tuesday.

☆ Belarus says Ukraine army groups massed at border, risking its security
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 21 (Reuters) - Belarus said on Tuesday that there was a significant grouping of Ukrainian troops massed near its border and warned that this posed a threat to its security. "At present, a significant grouping of the Ukrainian army is concentrated in the immediate vicinity of the Belarusian-Ukrainian section of the state border," the defence ministry said in a post on Telegram. Belarus allowed Russia to use its territory as a launchpad for the invasion of Ukraine a year ago, and President Alexander Lukashenko said last week it was ready to do so again. Lukashenko says Belarus would only enter the war if attacked by Ukraine. Reporting by Reuters; writing by Caleb Davis and Mark Trevelyan Editing by Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Leaked Russian document shows how Putin plans to annex ally Belarus by 2030
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia plans to take over its neighbor Belarus, according to a leaked document from Putin's office. The plan is to create a "union state" led by Russia by 2030, the document says. The internal strategy document lays out how Russia plans to get rid of what remains of Belarus' independence over a years-long plan. This would involve gradually creating stronger pro-Russia sentiment, expanding Russia's military presence there, and making it easier for citizens to get Russian passports. The ultimate goal is to create a common "union state" that is under Russian leadership, it said.

☆ Belarus to form 100,000-150,000 strong volunteer military force
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Lidia Kelly | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

I have said more than once: every man - and not only a man - should be able to at least handle weapons," Lukashenko said at the meeting of his Security Council. Lukashenko, who allowed Russia to use Belarus to send troops into Ukraine a year ago, has often said his army would fight only if Belarus was attacked. "In case of an act of aggression, the response will be fast, harsh and appropriate," Lukashenko said on Monday. Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin said the territorial defence force will have 100,000-150,000 volunteers, or more if needed. The country's professional army has about 48,000 troops and some 12,000 state border troops, according to the 2022 International Institute for Strategic Studies' Military Balance.

☆ Poland curbs border traffic as Belarus expels three Polish diplomats
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WARSAW, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Poland announced more curbs to road traffic with Belarus on Monday, hours after saying Minsk was expelling three Polish diplomats, as relations between the two nations deteriorate. Citing "state security", Poland said on Feb. 9 it was closing a border crossing into Belarus at Bobrowniki, driving already hostile relations between the two countries to a new low. Freight traffic for Belarusian vehicles at the Kukuryki-Kozlowicze border crossing will be suspended as of 7 p.m. Tuesday, the Polish Interior Ministry said on Monday. The decision was linked to Minsk curbing traffic for Polish road freight on Belarus' borders with Latvia and Lithuania, the ministry said. Belarus has called the decision to close the Bobrowniki border crossing irrational and dangerous.

☆ Belarus Leader Stands by Putin and Is Prepared to Aid More Russian Attacks on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Ann M. Simmons | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

MINSK—Nearly a year into the war in Ukraine, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko continues to back his ally Vladimir Putin, saying that he would again let the Russian president to use Belarus to stage further attacks on Ukraine—though would only send troops of his own if Belarusian forces were attacked. Speaking in a rare question-and-answer session with Western and Belarusian journalists Thursday, Mr. Lukashenko also presented himself as a potential peacemaker in the conflict, offering to host a meeting between President Biden and Mr. Putin when the U.S. leader visits Poland next week.

☆ Belarus' Lukashenko says it will only fight alongside Russia if Belarus attacked
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 16 (Reuters) - Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko said on Thursday he would only order his troops to fight alongside ally Russia if another country launches an attack against Belarus, the state-run Belta news agency reported. "I am ready to fight with the Russians from the territory of Belarus in only one case: If even one soldier comes onto the territory of Belarus to kill my people," Belta quoted Lukashenko as telling a news conference on Thursday. "If they commit aggression against Belarus, the response will be the most severe, and the war will take on a completely different nature." Russia used Belarus as a staging post for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, launching its failed offensive on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv from the country. A flurry of military activity and joint air force drills between Russia and Belarus earlier this year rekindled concerns that Minsk could be preparing to take a more active role in the conflict.

☆ Meet Belarusian dictator, Alexander Lukashenko, who is Putin's closest ally and helping him in the war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Cheryl Teh | Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

After leaving the military in the 1980s, he became the manager of a collective farm, which in Soviet Belarus was seen as a respectable job. Alexander Lukashenko in Hannover, Germany, on April 22, 1998. Holger Hollemann/picture alliance via Getty ImagesCollective farms in Soviet Russia were state-controlled and geared towards improving productivity and efficiency. In 1993, Lukashenko officially entered politics after he was promoted to lead the Belarusian parliament's anti-corruption commission. Source: The Week

☆ Nobel laureate calls for national reconciliation at trial in Belarus
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Byalyatski called for "national reconciliation" between the Belarus authorities and opposition on Monday, in his final statement at a trial he said was politically motivated. "We need to start a broad public dialogue aimed at national reconciliation," Byalyatski told the court in a statement published online by the Viasna human rights organisation he co-founded in 1996. Byalyatski was already in jail and awaiting trial long before he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last October, along with Russian human rights organisation Memorial and Ukrainian human rights organisation Center for Civil Liberties. "The criminal case against us, the human rights activists of Viasna, is politically motivated," Byalyatski said. He has brushed off accusations of human rights abuses.

☆ Belarus says Poland closing border crossing point is 'catastrophic' decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 10 (Reuters) - Belarus on Friday slammed a decision by Poland to close a border checkpoint between the two countries as "catastrophic", saying it could lead to a "collapse" on both sides of the border. "The actions of the Polish authorities could lead to a collapse on both sides of the border," Belarus' border committee said in a statement shared on social media. After the closure comes into force, only two of six major land crossing points along the two countries' 400-km (249 mile) border will be open, Belarus' border force said in a statement. "With the closure of another Polish checkpoint, the situation will become catastrophic," Belarus' border force added, pointing to already existing long lines at border crossings. Minsk also said it believed the decision was purposefully designed to "further aggravate the situation at the border and limit citizens' travel."

☆ Poland to close Belarus border crossing until further notice
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WARSAW, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Poland is to close a key border crossing with Belarus until further notice, the Polish interior minister said on Thursday, as relations between Warsaw and Minsk sink to new lows. Bobrowniki, more than 200 km northeast of Warsaw, is one of the main crossing points between Poland and Belarus. In 2021, Poland and the European Union said Minsk had engineered a migrant crisis on its borders, an accusation Belarus denies. More recently, Poland has condemned the vandalism of Polish graves in Belarus. Thousands of people of Polish origin live in Belarus as the west of the country was Polish territory until the borders were redrawn after World War Two.

☆ Belarus leader says he has been asked to seal a non-aggression pact with Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 24 (Reuters) - Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday that he had been asked to conclude a non-aggression pact with Ukraine, the Belta state news agency reported, citing comments that suggested he saw Kyiv as a potential threat. Lukashenko was quoted by Belta as saying:"...They are asking us not to go to war with Ukraine in any circumstances, not to move our troops there. It was not immediately clear from his comments whether Ukraine itself or the West had made the alleged offer. Minsk allowed Moscow to use Belarusian territory to send troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year. In the same speech, Belta cited Lukashenko as accusing Ukraine of hosting militants who could be part of an alleged long-term Western plan to destabilise his country.

☆ Belarus' exiled opposition leader says trial has 'nothing to do with justice'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Belarus' exiled opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, has bene put of trial for charges of treason and attempting to seize power. Belarus' exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who was put on trial in absentia this week on treason charges, said she has no hope that she will receive a fair trial. Tsikhanouskaya fled Belarus after Lukashenko seized power in the sharply contested 2020 elections, which were followed by widespread demonstrations over alleged electoral fraud. She was put on trial Tuesday and faces a possible jail term of 15 years on charges of treason and attempting to seize power. Tsikhanouskaya's trial comes amid ongoing concerns over Lukashenko's ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the possible escalation of Belarus' engagement in the war in Ukraine.

☆ Lavrov says Russia will "sober up" NATO and EU
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 19 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that Moscow would do all it could to "sober up" the European Union and NATO, which he accused of setting out to weaken and defeat Russia. His comments came on the same day that former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev warned NATO that a defeat for Russia in Ukraine could trigger a nuclear war. Nearly 11 months after invading Ukraine, Russia is increasingly presenting the war to its own people as an existential battle with the West. In televised comments, Lavrov said Moscow would set out to disabuse Western politicians of their "presumptuous" and "colonial" attitudes to Russia. "We will do everything so that our colleagues from NATO and the European Union sober up as soon as possible."

Jan 17 (Reuters) - Belarus put exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on trial in absentia on treason charges on Tuesday, in what the outspoken critic of veteran leader Alexander Lukashenko said would be a "farce and a show". Tsikhanouskaya, 40, fled Belarus after running against Lukashenko in the 2020 presidential election which was followed by mass protests over alleged electoral fraud. Tsikhanouskaya and several others were to be tried on charges of treason and attempting to seize power, the court said before the trial. Rights activists estimate about 1,500 people are in jail in Belarus on politically motivated charges. They could face from seven to 12 years in jail on charges of financing protests and smuggling money.

☆ Davos 2023: Opposition leader says Russian move on Ukraine from Belarus unlikely
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( John Irish | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Belarus' exiled opposition leader said on Monday she did not think Russia would launch an offensive on Ukraine from Belarus after the two countries began military drills, but Moscow could launch more missiles strikes from its ally's territory. Moscow and Minsk started joint military exercises on Monday, triggering fears in Kyiv and the West that Moscow could use its ally to launch a new ground offensive in Ukraine. Belarus has conducted numerous military exercises since Russia's invasion began in February, both on its own and jointly with Russia. However, it is unclear how much appetite there is from the people to enter a war against their neighbour. "Lukashenko's regime isn't sure that if he sends troops to fight with the Russian army to Ukraine, the Belarus people won't change sides, hide or betray him, so the status quo is comfortable for Lukashenko and (Russian President Vladimir)Putin."

Together with Moscow, Minsk has also been bolstering the drills with weaponry and military equipment. The Belarusian defence ministry said only that "units" of Russia's air forces have been arriving in Belarus. Ukraine's Air Force said the apartment block was struck by a Russian Kh-22 missile, which is known to be inaccurate and that Ukraine lacks the air defences to shoot down. SOLEDARIn Ukraine's eastern Donbas region - the focal point of Russia's drive to capture more territory - Ukraine's forces were battling around the small salt-mining town of Soledar. Russian forces claimed to have taken control of the town, but Ukraine insisted on Sunday that its forces were battling to hold the town, with street fighting raging and Russian forces advancing from various directions.

☆ Belarus, Russia to start 'defensive in nature' air force drills, Minsk says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Belarus said its air force drills with Russia that start on Monday are defensive in nature to prepare for possible combat missions, but the move comes as concerns grow that Moscow is pushing Minsk to join the war in Ukraine. The exercises which will last until Feb. 1 are to involve training for "aerial reconnaissance, deflecting air strikes, air cover of important objects and communications", Muraveyko added. Together with Moscow, Minsk has also been adding weaponry and military equipment to the drills. The Belarusian defence ministry said only that "units" of Russia's air forces have been arriving in Belarus. "During the tactical flight exercise, all airfields and training grounds of the Air Force and Air Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of Belarus will be involved," the ministry said in a statement.

☆ Ukraine credits local beavers for unwittingly bolstering its defenses — their dams make the ground marshy and impassable
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

This is in part because of beavers building dams, with nobody stopping them due to the war. The animals are unwittingly helping Kyiv by building dams that keep the ground marshy and impassable, a military spokesman told the agency. This helps Ukraine by making it less likely that an attack could come via Belarus, which borders Ukraine not far north of the capital Kyiv. Ukrainian officials had warned that Russia may wage an offensive through its ally Belarus into a region of Ukraine called Volyn. Its spokesman, Serhiy Khominskyi, praised the beavers, which he told Reuters were more working unimpeded, unlike in other years.

☆ Ukrainian swamps make attack from Belarus unlikely - for now
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Ukrainian officials have warned of a new looming Russian assault, with Belarus to the north named as one possible launchpad, as Moscow seeks to revive its faltering invasion. Russia and its close ally Belarus have beefed up their joint military grouping in Belarus and plan to hold joint aviation drills there from next Monday. Across the border on Thursday, the deputy commander of what Moscow calls its "special military operation" inspected Russian forces in Belarus. Analyst Konrad Muzyka, who runs defence consultancy Rochan Consulting, told Reuters that although a Russian troop build-up could be observed in Belarus, an attack into north-west Ukraine from Belarus would face enormous difficulties. "This makes it easy for Ukrainian forces to channel the movement of Russian forces into specific areas where they would be shelled by artillery."

☆ Belarus detains former presidential candidate
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 12 (Reuters) - An opposition politician who stood against long-time leader Alexander Lukashenko in the controversial 2020 presidential election has been detained, his team said. There was no comment from authorities in Belarus on the detention. His announcement of victory over leading opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya triggered weeks of mass protests in which hundreds of thousands of Belarusians took to the streets urging Lukashenko to step aside. Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, violently quashed the protests and has since stepped up a campaign of repression to silence domestic political opposition. Rights groups estimate there are about 1,500 political prisoners in Belarus as a result of the crackdown.

☆ Nobel Prize-winning rights defender goes on trial in Belarus
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Byalyatski, who co-founded the Viasna human rights group, sits inside a defendants' cage during a court hearing in Minsk, Belarus January 5, 2023. The 60-year-old, who co-founded the Viasna human rights group, and two other representatives of the group who also went on trial watched from inside a metal cage before proceedings were adjourned until Friday. He shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Russian rights group Memorial and Ukraine's Center for Civil Liberties last October, but had been arrested in 2021 along with the two co-workers from Viasna. A fourth rights defender who fled Belarus is being prosecuted in absentia in the same case. "The allegations against our colleagues are linked to their human rights activity, the Viasna human rights centre's provision of help to the victims of politically motivated persecution," the group said of the case.

Dec 27 (Reuters) - A Minsk court sentenced in absentia former Olympic swimmer Aliaksandra Herasimenia and political activist Alexander Opeykin to 12 years in prison for calling for sanctions and actions aimed at harming the national security of Belarus. Belarus has been shunned by the United Nations and many countries for an ongoing crackdown on political opponents, civil society and journalists. According to the U.S. embassy in Belarus, there are more than 1,300 political prisoners in Belarus. "The regime can't get to them, but their property in Belarus was seized, including a car & an apartment. Reporting in Winnipeg by Ron Popeski and in Melbourne by Lidia Kelly; Writing by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Lincoln Feast.

☆ Zelenskyy's U.S. trip comes as Ukraine warns Putin is planning a major new offensive
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Patrick-Smith-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Patrick Smith | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

The visit comes a day after Zelenskyy greeted troops in Bakhmut, a front-line city that Moscow's forces have struggled to seize despite months of intense battles, while Russian President Vladimir Putin offered a rare admission of his army's difficulties. The Russian leader’s pre-Christmas trip to neighboring Belarus only added to mounting speculation. Zelenskyy will now meet with President Joe Biden and address Congress as his country hopes to not just shore up but secure greater support from its Western allies. "Ukraine is very keen to step up and intensify the military support from the U.S.," Frank Ledwidge, a senior lecturer of law and strategy at University of Portsmouth, told NBC News. On Monday, Putin and his most senior advisers traveled to the Belarusian capital, Minsk, to meet authoritarian ally President Alexander Lukashenko, amplifying long-held fears that his forces could join a new offensive.

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