“A careless word”
Lukashenko warns West of apocalypse
April 25, 2024, 1:41 p.m
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Belarus’ ruler Lukashenko is conjuring up the worst case scenario. “One careless word, one movement can cause an armed confrontation, up to and including the use of nuclear weapons.” At the same time, he says: The Belarusian opposition is planning to ask NATO for help.
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has invoked the danger of a devastating nuclear war as Western pressure on Russia over Ukraine increases. “One careless word, one movement can cause an armed confrontation up to and including the use of nuclear weapons,” said Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin’s closest ally in Minsk. “If the situation becomes threatening inside Russia, Russia will use the entire arsenal it has. This will be the apocalypse,” the state news agency Belta quoted Lukashenko as saying.
The authoritarian ruler, who is no longer recognized by many countries because of his fraudulent re-election in 2020, addressed the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly. The highest constitutional body of the ex-Soviet republic is to adopt a new security doctrine.
In the document – similar to Russia’s view – NATO’s increase in forces in Eastern Europe is classified as a danger. For Belarus, Ukraine, as a conflict zone, is the greatest threat to national security, said Lukashenko. The West is trying to drag Belarus into this conflict, he claimed.
Lukashenko interpreted the military situation in Ukraine as a stalemate despite Western support. “The Russians will not disappear today from Crimea or from the eastern regions.” That’s why now is the time for talks, he said. If Ukraine is to survive as a state, Moscow and the West must agree on a draw. Ukraine, on the other hand, officially hopes for the liberation of its Russian-occupied territories and feels encouraged by the latest US promises of billions worth of arms aid.
Although Belarus has not directly intervened in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine since 2022, Lukashenko has made his country available as a staging area for Russian troops. Moscow has also stationed tactical nuclear weapons in its neighboring country. Lukashenko is an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has often cited the threat of attack from NATO or Ukraine as justification for keeping his military and security apparatus on constant high alert.
Allegedly foiled drone attack from Lithuania
Meanwhile, Belarusian security authorities said they had foiled a drone attack on the capital Minsk that was allegedly launched from Lithuania. The State Security Committee, in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies, recently carried out several urgent security measures that made it possible to prevent attacks by combat drones from the territory of Lithuania on objects in Minsk and its suburbs, Russian state news agency RIA quoted Belarusian security chief Ivan Tertel as saying. It was not specified whether he provided evidence to support his claim.
The military of NATO member Lithuania said it had not taken any hostile actions against another country. Lukashenko said the opposition planned to seize a district in western Belarus and request support from NATO troops, according to Russia’s RIA agency. “I don’t know why they chose the Kobrin district, but they talk about it a lot. They plan to occupy it (…) and ask NATO to station troops,” Lukashenko said. It was unclear what he based his statements on. All of the country’s main opposition figures are in prison or have been forced into exile.