Vadzim Kabanchuk: We Are Fighting For Belarus To Be Free

Belarusian volunteers in Ukraine are the successors of Lithuanian warriors.

8 September is the Day of Belarusian Military Glory. This is an unofficial holiday that is celebrated since the early 1990s. In 1514, there was a famous battle on the Krapivianskaye field near Vorsha. The army of 30000 of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, under the command of Hetman Kanstantsin Astrozhski defeated the 80000 army of Muscovia.

Charter97.org has asked one of the founders of the movement Zubr and the organization Krai, and now a volunteer in Ukraine, the winner of the National Prize for Human Rights named after Viktar Ivashkevich in 2016, Vadzim Kabanchuk about what examples Belarusian patriots have to follow and whether Belarusians are ready to defend their independence:

– I would like to congratulate you on the Day of military glory, because it is you, the Belarusian volunteers, who protect the independence of our country in the east of Ukraine today. Is the Day of Belarusian Military Glory something special for you? Do Belarusian volunteers in Ukraine celebrate this holiday?

– We congratulated each other on the holiday of the historic victory for the Belarusian patriots. The Battle of Vorsha was the greatest event that changed the course of the Belarusian history. Belarusian volunteers in Ukraine are the successors of the Lithuanian warriors who once stopped a threat to the eastern borders of our country. Today, the same thing happens again, only the theater of operations has changed: the fate of Belarus hangs in the balance in Ukraine. We are fighting here for Belarus to be free.

Belarusian volunteers are scattered throughout Ukraine: some of them serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, some of them fight in the volunteer battalions, so everyone will celebrate where he serves. Today, a rally in support of our country's independence will be held near the Belarusian Embassy in Kiev at 17:00. A lot of Belarusian volunteers will take part in it.

– The valiant troops of GDL, Kalinouski’s rebels, Belarusian Society of Warriors, which in spite of all the danger has taken the oath of allegiance to Belarus, Belarusian volunteers in Ukraine – the list goes on. What can today's Belarusian patriots learn from these examples?

– These are the examples of how to defend our land, our national interests. I, as a Belarusian volunteer in Ukraine, can say that for the first time since the Second World War, Belarusians are fighting for freedom in arms under the white-red-white flag. We defend the independence of our country in Ukraine and hope that no military conflicts will happen on the territory of Belarus and we will not have to defend our country with lethal force. We will stop the enemy here, in Ukraine.

– On September 8, a prevention rally against the West-2017 maneuvers will be held in Minsk, Belarusian patriots in Ukraine and all those who are in solidarity with Belarus will come to a rally in Kiev. What would you like to tell fellow countrymen on the eve of the rallies?

– It is better to take part in a peaceful protest, than to take part in a hot conflict phase. I want to say to those Belarusians who do not have enough courage to join the rally: do come! It is not comparable to what was happening in eastern Ukraine, when the "Russian world" came there. The more people will come in Minsk today – the more people ready to protect our Motherland our eastern neighbors, who are hatching a plan of aggression, will see. Today Belarusians can take advantage of a great opportunity and to take an oath of freedom at Kastrychnitskaya Square. I wish the rally participants inspiration and courage!