Belarusians Foil Putin's Plans To Invade Ukraine

• Natallia Radzina
• 6.03.2022, 12:36

For our and your freedom!

Natallia Radzina, editor-in-chief of Charter97.org, has addressed the anti-war conference organised by the Free Russia Forum in Vilnius. Leaders of Russian opposition, deputies of Seimas of Lithuania, public figures and journalists from Baltic states, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia took part in the conference.

Here is the full text of Natallia Radina's speech:

- The people of Belarus are against the war. But two things must be clearly and distinctly understood with regard to our country. There is a tough dictatorial regime in the country, absolute lawlessness reigns, thousands of people are in prisons. And at the same time, Belarus is occupied by Russian troops. The war against the Ukrainians is being carried out by the regimes of Putin and his satellite Lukashenka.

Despite the dictatorship and the occupation, the Belarusians are trying in every possible way to resist the aggressors. Street protests are hardly possible at the moment: in two days, about a thousand people have been arrested for coming out to anti-war rallies, these people are facing serious punishment under criminal articles. Nevertheless, partisan campaigns are held, leaflets and anti-war graffiti are distributed, and sabotage attacks are carried out on the railway to stop trains carrying Russian military and equipment.

The Belarusians are foiling Putin's plans to invade Ukraine. Most of the rank and file of the Belarusian units prepared to be sent to Ukraine are against taking part in the war.

Officers report to the General Staff of the Belarusian Armed Forces that if they cross the border, officers' lives will be in great danger because soldiers will raise arms against them. Mass surrender of Belarusian soldiers is also expected.

As for the civilian population. Today many Belarusian men receive summons to appear at the military enlistment office. These people will not go to fight against Ukraine. They leave the country or find other reasons not to go to the training camp, but they will not take up arms against their neighbours anyway.

Thousands of Belarusian volunteers are now going to Ukraine to defend the country from the Russian occupiers. A Belarusian battalion is being formed near Kiev, and a considerable number of Belarusians are fighting all over Ukraine. Belarusian emigrants in Poland and Lithuania, together with representatives of other countries, are standing in line to be sent to the front.

We have been rendering and will continue rendering all possible assistance to Ukraine. Independent media, I speak for Charter97.org website in particular, are doing their best to provide Belarusians with true information on what is happening in neighbouring Ukraine. There is constant informational work among the Belarusian military and their families. Belarusian emigration provides humanitarian and financial support to the Ukrainian army and Ukrainian refugees in European countries.

I am convinced that the Putin and Lukashenka regimes will collapse, they have committed a suicidal act by attacking Ukraine. The sanctions imposed by the West are now finally destroying the economies of these countries. Belarusian enterprises are already on the verge of shutting down, massive salary cuts are taking place, wages are being delayed, workweeks are being reduced, and layoffs of workers are underway. A complete collapse of the economy awaits Belarus.

The West must give Ukraine all possible military, political and economic support. Putin must be stopped in every possible way. The EU will not be able to defend itself without protecting Ukraine. I have to remind you that the Belarusian opposition has been warning Ukraine about the threat from Lukashenka for many years. I personally, together with representatives of the European Belarus civil campaign, have met with numerous Ukrainian politicians, MPs, military officers, experts since 2014, and we warned about threats from Belarus, about a possible attack on the country from the Belarusian territory. At that time, they did not believe us and did not take our threats seriously.

Today, the West must also stop entertaining naive hopes that Putin will stop in Ukraine. If he is not stopped today, tomorrow he will be in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland.