[ad_1]
Belarus is emerging as a key player in the Russian occupation of Ukraine.
Ukrainian intelligence says Belarus is showing “readiness to take a direct part” in the invasion of Russia, “in addition to allowing the Russians to use their territory and letting them cross the border” into Ukraine, said an official of the Ukrainian government for CNN.
Belarus and Russia have close military ties, and Russian troops have recently been stationed in Belarus for extensive military exercises.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said last week that Belarusian troops could join the invasion “if necessary”.
Here’s what you need to know about Lukashenko, the man at the helm of this nation that lies between Russia and Poland, a member of the European Union:
Elected president in Belarus’s first democratic elections in 1994 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, he has ruled for more than a quarter of a century. But subsequent elections have always been accompanied by allegations of voting irregularities and were won by a dubious margin of votes.
The end of 2020 was accompanied by months of protests and violence across the country following controversial elections, as police fired into the air, used grenades and arrested more than 200 people to prevent tens of thousands of Belarusians marching through Minsk on Sunday to demand their departure. of the veteran leader from power.
He denied allegations that the vote had been rigged and said he had no intention of withdrawing.
“The last dictator of Europe”Named “Europe’s last dictator”, his iron control over his country has become increasingly strong. His public appearances are tightly controlled and he is generally surrounded by young compatriots.
Lukashenko has stepped up his alliance with Putin, who has offered hundreds of millions of dollars in financial aid – support to the Kremlin that is likely to run into trouble.
In an exclusive interview with CNN in 2021, Lukashenko told CNN what could happen if there were ever to be a provocation against the two countries:
“If we need to, Belarus will turn into a military base for Russia in order to resist your aggression, if you decide, or if any country decides to attack. “And you have to be clear about that.”
top channel
[ad_2]
Source link
