Lucas Leiroz
Sabotage operations may take place within the territory of the Republic of Belarus. According to information provided by an important Russian official, Belarusian mercenaries who are currently fighting for the Ukrainian side would be sent back to their homeland with the aim of planning mutiny, boycott and terrorism operations against the local government. The case makes even more evident the need for broad military cooperation between Moscow and Minsk.
The information was announced by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Mikhail Galuzin. According to him, nationalist units in Ukraine formed by Belarusian mercenaries could send some of their members back to the country in order to incite domestic terror. Galuzin claims that these groups have broad military and intelligence support from the Ukrainian government and consequently from the western powers that sponsor Kiev. He also said that these groups are becoming increasingly “tougher”. So, considering this fact, complex, large-scale illegal operations could be planned.
Galuzin also mentioned that recently several leading neo-Nazis from Belarus have made it clear in public statements that they plan to use their combat experience in the Ukrainian conflict to fight against the government of Aleksandr Lukashenko. These plans obviously serve some of the main interests of the Western-Ukrainian axis, as Minsk is an ally of Moscow and both states have significantly advanced cooperation in all areas.
“Belarusian nationalist formations (…) – who are actively supported by the Kiev authorities and their Western backers have become significantly tougher (…) The leaders and commanders of those cut-throat mercenaries openly say that they plan, in the future, to apply their combat experience to topple the current Belarusian leadership”, he said during an interview to a Russian media outlet.
It is important to remember that recently several attacks have taken place against the people of Belarus and Minsk’s security forces. In addition to many incidents in the border region, with Ukrainian missiles hitting Belarusian territory and even causing the death of civilians, in February there was an attack with military drones against a Russian reconnaissance plane placed in Minsk. The responsibility for the act was claimed by the Association of Security Forces of Belarus, better known as “Bypol”, an anti-Lukashenko paramilitary organization, which, in addition to illegal activities in Belarus, constantly sends neo-Nazi volunteers to Ukraine.
Galuzin believes that these provocations were a way to “test” the defense capacity of the Belarusian forces, thus preparing for future large-scale incursions. He, however, expressed confidence that the Belarusian authorities will know how to solve the problem and prevent damage from being caused against the population. In fact, considering the advanced level of integration of the defense and security policies of Belarus and Russia, it is certain that Minsk, in addition to its own mechanisms, will also be able to count on the help of the wide intelligence apparatus of the Russian forces to detect any threats and prevent attacks.
It is curious how the Russian official’s report comes amid the current controversy about the legitimacy of the allocation of Russian nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil. Even though the agreement was made bilaterally, respecting and prioritizing Minsk’s national interests, the Russian-Belarusian nuclear dialogue has been the target of disinformation campaigns promoted by the mainstream media and pro-NATO activists, who try to report the case as a kind of “Russian imperialism”.
Russia and Belarus are historically partner states, which share the same people, history and culture, and there is no reason for distrust in their bilateral relations. Both the government of Aleksandr Lukashenko and his foreign policy focused on cooperation with Moscow are widely supported by the majority of the population, as has already become evident with the absolute failure of all Western attempts to provoke riots and color revolution in the country.
So, in a context of constant global security crisis, with high risks of nuclear war, in addition to several external threats to the security of Belarus, with Ukraine, Poland and the Baltics starting provocations on the borders, it is absolutely normal that cooperation is raised to the nuclear level – as this helps to guarantee Minsk’s sovereignty and protects the local population. Also, the fact that terrorist maneuvers are expected to happen in the country in the near future reinforces that all necessary measures to increase national security must be taken as soon as possible, including the nuclear deterrence power.
It is important to remember that Belarusian intelligence is aware of the Kiev-sponsored terrorist threat since last year, when a national anti-terrorist operation was launched, promoting the militarization of the borders, introducing the combat readiness of the troops and encouraging an exponential intensification of the military partnership with the Russians, both in terms of receiving troops from Moscow and in joint war exercises. In this period, several terrorist networks began to be monitored and saboteurs were neutralized before causing real harm to the people.
Regarding Belarusian fighters in Ukraine, it is most likely that Kiev is organizing attacks like the ones that recently took place in the Russian oblast of Bryansk, when some expatriate Russian neo-Nazi mercenaries assaulted the area and killed civilians. In the same sense, sabotage operations and assassination attempts against specific targets could also be being planned. However, despite the suffering caused to the victims of these confrontations, the military and political gains for the aggressor side are null, which is why Minsk, although at risk of incursions, does not have its sovereignty truly threatened.
Lucas Leiroz, journalist, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, geopolitical consultant.
NATO at Belarus’ door is threat to Europe, not nuke weapons in Belarus — Foreign Ministry
MINSK, March 30. /TASS/. The deployment of new NATO forces near Belarus’ borders is the real threat to European security, not Belarus keeping Russia’s nuclear weapons on its territory, the country’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
“Deployment of fresh NATO’s troops near the Belarus’ border and further Alliance’s enlargement in Northern Europe are an irresponsible escalation and key factors threatening European security,” reads the statement posted on the ministry’s Twitter page.
Thus, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry commented on the statement of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, who asserted that the stationing of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus is an “irresponsible escalation and threat to European security.” Borrell urged Minsk to reverse this decision, saying that otherwise the EU was ready to respond with new sanctions.
The training of Belarusian pilots capable of flying aircraft with specific munitions and the deployment of nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus in no way contradicts international law, in particular the provisions of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry pointed out earlier.
This practice is not new in the sphere of military cooperation between a nuclear and non-nuclear state, it said, reiterating that NATO has long been using the practice of “nuclear sharing.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on March 25 that, at Minsk’s request, Moscow would deploy its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, similar to what the United States has been doing for some time on the territories of its allies. Russia has already transferred the nuclear-capable Iskander missile system to Belarus. A storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons should be built by July 1, the Russian leader added.
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