Ukrainian Political Scientist: 97% Ukrainian MPs Do Not Understand Situation In Belarus

However, Kyiv will not agree to restore relations with Lukashenka.

Cand. Sc. Philosophy Maksym Pleshko, the head of the Ukrainian Center for Belarusian Communications, expressed the opinion that Ukraine will not forgive Lukashenka and indicated Kyiv’s strategic interest in changing the regime in Belarus.

The political scientist gave an interview to Charter97.org and explained why he is so confident that Ukraine won’t ignore the crimes committed by the Belarusian dictator:

– The values of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people differ from the values of Lukashenka and his regime. If we are talking about the beginning of the war, Ukraine needed to stabilize the north so that missiles would not be launched from there, and so on. We achieved this because it was in our interests.

But democratic Belarusians should not be offended by the Ukrainians because we did not rush to bring freedom to Belarus. It’s one thing to read the news in Warsaw, Lithuania or somewhere else abroad, even in Belarus, and another thing to understand what’s happening in Ukraine. Life in Kyiv and in the east and south differs significantly. Soldiers and their commanders live in an environment where they are constantly under threat of death and a shell can hit them any minute.

However, regaining statehood by the Belarusian nation corresponds to Ukraine's strategic interests. Yes, not everyone in Ukraine understands this, not everyone has yet reached the point that there is Lukashenka’s regime, but there is a separate Belarusian nation that is going through an active process of formation. Belarusians should not stop, you need to work in the Ukrainian information field, explain this, because in Ukraine have seen the difference between the Lukashenka regime and the Belarusian people only in 2020, the opposition, and the Belarusian democratic society that rebelled

– Why did this happen only in 2020? After all, Belarusians were at all the Maidans, supporting the Ukrainian people, the first person who died at the Maidan was a Belarusian.

– It’s because Ukraine was almost always looking inward and did not look around, it was busy with its own problems, showdowns, and so on. After the start of the war, we began to look outside. As a political scientist, I read the news, looked at the situation and understood that there is Lukashenka, but there is also an opposition. I understood this, but I’m talking about the common perception of the Ukrainian people. For example, Poland and Lithuania have always seen the difference: sanctions against the regime, support for a democratic society, funding projects, and so on.

This perception has not yet been fully formed in Ukraine, but the process is underway. I personally often have to explain to Ukrainians that not all Belarusians are the same, that there is a regime, and there are normal Belarusians. It’s a regular thing, so the Belarusian opposition needs to work within the Ukrainian information space.

Let’s not just talk about the positive, but let’s say honestly and sciencey: here are those who support Lukashenka among Belarusians, and the second part sees a future with Europe and wants to live in a European way. It's true. And then let’s say that the same thing happened in Ukraine until 2014. Therefore, there are similarities between us, but we have made this way. This is difficult and long work with public consciousness, it takes time, but the process is moving in the right direction. Ukrainians understand that we need a democratic nation in Belarus – this is in our national interests.

– Regarding the political elite and the current leadership of Ukraine, do they understand this?

– Not everyone. There is, for example, the association For Democratic Belarus among the Ukrainian MPs, they know it, they are involved. But only 15 people. I’m not sure about the remaining 435 MPs. I talked with Rada members who are far from the topic of Belarus – they perceive the situation at the level of an average person. They don’t understand certain things, it’s not their topic and they don’t care about it.

There are also many (I am sure Russian and Lukashenka’s propaganda are involved) who belittle the Belarusian opposition and talk about its weakness. This is an external influence that was inspired by the Ukrainians, but the situation is gradually changing.

However, Ukrainians are beginning to perceive their neighbors differently. We are growing, you are growing, and although we are at different levels now, the trend is approximately the same – the creation of a nation. The empire is the enemy of the nation, it destroys it because a nation is a subject. It has its statehood. It chooses its leaders and course.

That is why Russia is destroying the Belarusian nation with Lukashenka’s hands. His regime openly destroys national symbols, culture, language, and so on. But the Belarusian nation is a natural ally of the Ukrainian nation.

– Recently, an idea has been very popular among the Belarusian media sources that there is some kind of agreement between the Lukashenka regime and Ukraine, that Kyiv maintains such passive neutrality and does not touch Lukashenka, and he, for his part, maintains some kind of neutrality. Do you think this is true?

– We must understand that Lukashenka’s regime is interested in such an idea existing in the Belarusian opposition and the media. “I will settle everything peacefully and remain in power,” he says to those abroad. “Be meek and mild,” for those in Belarus, “I’m not going to leave.” I would like to appeal to the Belarusian opposition, the media, and so on: if you broadcast this message, then you must understand who benefits from it. It’s beneficial to the Lukashenka regime, he shows that he wants to stay in power.

Ukraine, in turn, needs a reliable and civilized neighbor. Let's imagine a situation where Ukraine won. Whom will it choose for cooperation from the north? Will it choose the regime that is a co-aggressor, to which the majority of Ukrainians have a negative attitude, and so on? In general, it’s impossible from a political, legal and even sociological point of view to imagine the resumption of diplomatic relations with the Lukashenka regime.

– We see that today there are lobbyist states, the states advocating and promoting Ukraine’s accession to NATO and the European Union. Can we, Belarusians, hope that Ukrainians will help us to achieve European integration in the future?

– Definitely. A certain category of people, experts, are doing everything possible to explain to Ukrainians how important Belarus is for us, how important Belarusians are, how important trade and economic relations are, and how important it is for Belarus to be a predictable and democratic neighbor. We never tire of repeating that the security of Eastern Europe is possible only with a free and democratic Belarus. In Ukraine, people who think strategically understand all this clearly.

I’ll say even more, you can call it a certain futurism, but such close relations and an alliance between Ukraine and Belarus would strengthen the two of us in trade and economic terms, financial and other aspects. Lithuania is getting closer to this, Poland is getting closer to this, and we get this very interesting and promising geopolitical core in the east of Europe - Intermarium, the Baltic-Black Sea space. A free and democratic Ukraine needs Belarus.

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