Is Lukashenko Afraid Of The "Volfovich Conspiracy"?
2- 2.10.2026, 8:59
- 4,304
The system of checks and balances within the security forces has been completely undermined.
Analyst Sergei Chaly discussed the appointment of Pavel Muraveiko to the position of deputy head of Lukashenko’s administration.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the news that Chief of the General Staff Pavel Muraveiko had been appointed deputy head of Lukashenko’s administration,” — Chaly said on a program on "Belsat". — When Krutoy announced the appointment, he noted that Muraveyko would fill a “vacant position.” But why was it vacant?
Lukashenko traditionally had four deputy heads of the administration overseeing key areas: legal affairs—now handled by Chupris; ideological affairs—Percetov; general affairs—Petkevich; and there used to be an economic division. After Yegorov left for the National Bank, it was precisely this position that remained vacant. But to appoint the Chief of the General Staff to the economic portfolio? Obviously, that cannot be the case.
From the very beginning, Lukashenko has been justifying this appointment. He says there will be many who want to speculate on this topic: that Lukashenko has allegedly succumbed to the security forces by appointing the Chief of the General Staff to his administration. This is a preemptive justification. Let me remind you that our first program (referring to the program with Chaly on “Belsat”—ed.) was about how Volfovich had, in fact, quietly brought all the security agencies under his control. The system of checks and balances there has been completely undermined.
Then Lukashenko begins to explain why he needs Muravyeko. He says: “As Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, it’s very important to me—if you will—to have several alternative perspectives on the situation within our security agencies. And you, from my point of view, are well-suited for this role. It’s not even that you were the president’s confidant.” But how can an “alternative point of view” coexist in the same mind with a person who was his confidant during the 2025 “elections”?
And I didn’t understand the next passage at all. Lukashenko says: “If anyone says that Muraveyko is practically the ‘president’s’ own brother, they’re mistaken, because before he was appointed Chief of the General Staff, I hardly knew him at all.” And he notes that he, so to speak, doesn’t have a “friend or foe” mentality at all.
How does he explain this? He says: “Everyone sitting at this table is not a stranger to me.” This is practically a classic quote from the Russian Emperor Paul I: in Russia, the only person who matters is the one I’m talking to—and only as long as I’m talking to him. The logic here is the same: you’re “one of us” as long as you’re sitting at this table.
Continuing to justify the appointment, he notes that he made the decision himself; no one prompted him to do so. I think the instruction was along the lines of: “Find me someone urgently who can counterbalance Volfovich.”
Lukashenko separately noted that he had instructed Volfovich to speak with Muraveiko before the appointment and knows that Volfovich has already conveyed all his plans to him. And he repeated once again: “An alternative, competing point of view must exist at the very highest level—that’s what I need.” I think this is a subtle way to humiliate Volfovich.
In effect, he instructed Volfovich to have Muraveiko keep an eye on him. This automatically limits Muraveiko’s ability to raise any objections, let alone sabotage anything or openly disagree. That’s how cleverly it’s all set up.
Bank's name: Bank Millennium S.A.
Address: ul. Stanislawa Zaryna, 2A, 02-593, Warszawa
IBAN: PL97116022020000000216711123
SWIFT: BIGBPLPW
Name of the account holder: Fundacja “KARTA ‘97”
Purpose/title of payment: Donation for statuary aims
You can contact us by the e-mail [email protected]
