Why Silence Won't Save Lukashenko

The dictator wants to forget about his promises.

Footage of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra burning following Russian attack, made it to the front pages of global media. Belarusian independent media reported on the barbaric shelling. But Lukashenko’s propaganda, which regularly publishes reports from its Russian counterparts, has gone completely silent, writes "Solidarnast".

By the evening of Monday, June 15, the state agency BELTA had managed to express concern about human rights in Latvia, the “dire” situation in Lithuania, and Kyiv’s lag behind schedule in implementing economic reforms agreed upon with the EU. But not a word about the shelling of the Lavra.

There may be several reasons for this silence. It is possible that one of them is yet another uncomfortable realization of who we are in the same boat with.

No, this is not about a sudden awakening of conscience, since in this case there is simply nothing to awaken. Rather, it is a reminder that nothing is impossible for the Kremlin’s partners. As has never been the case—the ashes of Mogilev and Polotsk’s Sophia will not let them lie.
This reticence can also be explained by the fact that Ukraine has kept a close eye on Belarus in recent days and months. One can nod obsequiously and go along with Lavrov’s fantasies about France or Britain “dragging” Ukrainians into the war all one wants, but it was Russian, not British, drones that struck the Lavra in Kyiv.

And they could have flown in from one of the launch sites set up by the allies right on the Belarusian border. How can one not recall Robert Brovdy’s warning about five hundred targets in Belarus?

“It is important for the West to drown the Russian-Ukrainian brotherhood, our Slavic brotherhood, in blood. But we are kindred Slavic peoples, born of the same baptismal font. Our roots go back centuries. And we must preserve this, no matter the cost. After all, brotherhood is far greater than contrived grievances and petty political ambitions. Our unbreakable bonds are the foundation of our shared security and survival. And no matter how much anyone might wish otherwise, we will bring our Ukraine back into the fold of our Slavic community. “We will definitely do this,” Lukashenko said in 2022.

A month before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including from Belarusian territory, Lukashenko promised to “bring Ukraine back.” Today, he might wish to forget those promises. But even a resounding silence here, it seems, will no longer help.

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