"Lukashenko Has Already Done Enough To Land Himself Before A Tribunal"

According to the deputy, the issue of relay stations on Belarusian territory is particularly important for Ukraine today; according to the Ukrainian side, these are being used by the Russian military to control attack drones. In September, Ukrainian authorities stated that these repeaters, which had been shut down in the summer following a demand from Kyiv, had resumed operation.

“Given that I spend most of my time in Ukraine in Kyiv—and drones from Russia are flying toward Kyiv right now—we understand that the relay stations are located precisely on Belarusian territory. And these drones, flying to bomb Kyiv right now, at this very moment, are clearly receiving assistance from (Alexander) Lukashenko, from the Belarusian military, or from those responsible for this infrastructure,” said Yevgenia Kravchuk.

According to the lawmaker, it is up to the military leadership to decide exactly how Ukraine should respond to the use of Belarusian territory for Russian attacks. However, Kyiv has already made it clear to Minsk that it views such facilities as a potential threat to its security.

“Even the head of our unmanned systems forces said that we have all the necessary coordinates and, if necessary, we will exercise our right to self-defense. I think this should serve as a bit of a wake-up call for those who are considering various options for providing even greater assistance to Russia,” noted the representative of the Ukrainian parliament.

She believes that the Belarusian authorities’ involvement in Russian aggression could be examined by a future special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

“It’s already clear that the regime has set itself up for a tribunal. It will be possible to prove the Belarusian regime’s support for Russian aggression. Because the tribunal we’re talking about concerns aggression against Ukraine, but the issue may not be limited to the Russian Federation. Belarus is precisely an example of how airfields and territory were provided, and now control towers are being provided,” the lawmaker stated.

At the same time, Kravchuk doubts that Alexander Lukashenko will voluntarily decide to have the Belarusian army directly participate in the war.

“Given that support for the so-called ‘special military operation’ among the Belarusian people as a whole—and even within the army—is very low, it is clear that he will resist this to the very end. But it is clear that Ukraine reserves the right to respond in any way if there are any hostile actions from the north,” she said.

Separately, the lawmaker commented on the Western countries’ negotiations with Minsk regarding the release of political prisoners in exchange for easing restrictions. In her view, this approach carries the risk of turning political prisoners into a permanent bargaining chip.

“Unfortunately, a kind of ‘sanctions trade’ is taking place: lifting sanctions in exchange for the fates of people—political prisoners. It’s obvious that both Russia and Belarus will use this to push for a relaxation of sanctions. I think the regime is also trying to use potash and fertilizers as bargaining chips,” Kravchuk noted.

According to her, the issue of releasing political prisoners must be constantly raised; however, at the same time, one must take into account that Minsk may use new repressions to create yet another “bargaining chip.”

“Of course, we need to draw attention to political prisoners—to the very fact that they exist. But at the same time, this could become a never-ending game. Lukashenko could detain people every day and then exchange them for something, and in the end, people will still say that he isn’t the worst dictator on this continent,” she said.

You can support the website Charter97.org

MULTI-CURRENCY ACCOUNT FOR ASSISTANCE:

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]