Roman Bessmertny About Liberation of Belarus: It's Worth Recalling Example of General de Gaulle

Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine should facilitate the creation of a new Belarusian army.

The massacre committed by Russian occupants near Kyiv shocked the world. Irpin, Bucha, and Gostomel - European politicians visit these cities today, but just three months ago war crimes were committed there.

During the occupation, the former Ukrainian ambassador to Belarus, Roman Bessmertny, was with his 83-year-old mother in the village of Motyzhyn, which is part of the Bucha district. He miraculously survived, as the Russian war criminals did not find out that the famous Ukrainian politician was in the territory under their control.

Charter97.org spoke with Roman Bessmertny about the atrocities of the Russian occupiers, Lukashenka's responsibility for the crimes in the Kyiv region, the trial of the Belarusian dictator and the army of free Belarus.

- All that happened has a simple and very cruel definition - an occupation. You realize that non-humans, creatures came to you. Trying to find out why one should bully civilians, especially old people, children, women, you will never find the answer. Why should one shoot up cars with children, old people on board? It is beyond understanding. Why should one shoot at residential buildings, schools, churches?

Knowing what I knew and understood due to my work, one cannot relate it to the events that happened earlier and happen now.

If one takes the time after World War II, humanity did its best to ensure no World War III would ever come. The things adopted within the international humanitarian law, created mechanisms of resistance to war, especially in Europe. It is impossible to imagine such an attitude to people.

Therefore, it is hard, painful, and unpleasant to talk about it.

- Two Belarusians from Wagner PMC are accused of events in Motyzhin. Troops entered the Kyiv region from the territory of Belarus. How would you assess Lukashenka's role in those atrocities that were committed in the Kyiv region?

- As for the subversive and reconnaissance groups and private armies, contractors who were brought in through private armies, unfortunately, there were quite a few of them. It happened that I even saw lists with photos of all those who were recruited and involved in this work. This is one of the facts you need to know. The Kremlin regime and the Lukashenka regime are responsible for things that have been ongoing since 2014. I mean Russia's war against Ukraine, as well as the involvement of Belarusians. We should distinguish between Lukashenka and his bloc and a Belarusian, a Belarusian-European. And the fact that some Belarusians ran after the long ruble, the dollar, hired through private armies for this war, starting in 2014. It is clear that this is a consequence of the Lukashenka regime in Belarus.

- Why do we keep hearing from Ukrainian political scientists and analysts that we need to have a realpolitik policy with Lukashenka, talk to him somehow?

- From my point of view, it's too late to talk to Lukashenka, there's nothing to talk about. If we talk, then only within the framework of an international tribunal. There are two big sections to the crimes. Section number one is his role as a Kremlin satellite and participation in the war against Ukraine, unmotivated, unexplained, direct aggression. This is the first group of articles under which he should be held accountable.

And the second is the seizure of power in Belarus headed by a terrorist group, as well as crimes against the Belarusian people. These are the two groups, the two sections under which Lukashenka should be tried. He wages war not only against the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian state but the Belarusian people and the Belarusian state. He is neither the Belarusian state, nor the Belarusian people. He is a person who has seized power in Belarus by fraudulent, terrorist means; there is nothing to communicate with him.

- Is it necessary for the AFU to strike the positions of the Russian army in Belarus?

- In accordance with the international humanitarian law, using any territory, any premises, turning them into a military object, requires adhering to the regulations. Including shelling of these territories, premises and so on. This is all regulated by international law. From the point of view of international law, the Ukrainian troops have the right to shell territories from which they fire, from which they provide logistical support to the aggressor's army. In this case, it is necessary to adhere to the rules, traditions of warfare.

One should understand that the absence of such shelling is a decision of military and political commanders. From the point of view of international law, Ukraine has all the necessary arguments to conduct this shelling. The territory, resources are used to wage war against the Ukrainian state.

- There are Belarusian volunteers fighting in Ukraine who call their goal to return to Belarus and overthrow Lukashenka. Is this possible?

- What should be done in the current situation: first, it is very important to create a transitional, democratic, whatever one wishes to call it, government of democratic Belarus. To create the corresponding structures, the Ministry of Defense, the corresponding headquarters, and to receive the regiment and, in the long term, the army of the Republic of Belarus, the new army.

To avoid a long explanation, I will draw a parallel. The things done by General Giraud and General (then Colonel) de Gaulle can be the clearest example of how to act in the current situation.

The task of Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and the European community is to contribute to the maximum so that the army of the democratic government of the Republic of Belarus would grow on the basis of the regiment of Kastus Kalinouski. And then this democratic government can develop plans, enter into various alliances, and ask for help. Including the liberation of Belarus from Lukashenka's dictatorial, totalitarian, terrorist regime.

- Lukashenka has been able to get away with it for a long time. Do you think complicity in aggression is his fatal mistake?

- The actions of Lukashenka and his entourage in the current situation are not a mistake. It is a crime he will be criminally responsible for.

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