Лицо беларусской пропаганды Григорий Азаренок. Фото: СТВ.
Belarusian state propaganda, despite its full solidarity with the Kremlin in supporting the war against Ukraine, employs its own narratives that distinguish it from Russian propaganda, according to the authors of a new iSANS report, Red Lines of Belarusian Propaganda, which analyses pro-government Belarusian Telegram channels and media outlets.
The authors say Russian propaganda is built around rhetoric calling for the destruction of Ukrainian statehood, denying Ukraine’s right to exist and advocating the continuation of the war until victory. In contrast, Belarusian propaganda increasingly employs “peace-making” rhetoric, promoting negotiations and presenting Belarus as a possible venue for talks. At the same time, however, it does not question Russia’s actions and continues to disseminate the Kremlin’s anti-Ukrainian narratives.
The report identifies three main areas of difference. While Russian propagandists portray the war as a war of annihilation and an existential confrontation with the West, Belarusian propagandists emphasise the need for negotiations. Russian propaganda depicts Ukraine as “anti-Russia,” whereas Belarusian state media describe it as a “neighbouring” or “brotherly” country that has allegedly fallen under Western influence. Finally, while Russian propaganda denies the existence of a distinct Ukrainian identity, Belarusian propaganda continues to promote the concept of the “three brotherly Slavic peoples.”
At the same time, the researchers argue that the peace-making rhetoric of Aliaksandr Lukashenka is one-sided. According to the report, he regularly calls on Ukraine to agree to negotiations on Moscow’s terms while making no demands of Russia, which initiated the war. The report also notes that calls for peace are accompanied by continued military and political support for the Kremlin.
The study is based on monitoring of Belarusian propaganda from January 2023 to March 2026, as well as on a database maintained by iSANS since 2020.