Фото: ОПК
Bringing Belarus back into the pan-European security architecture would be cheaper than leaving neighboring countries to deal alone with the challenges posed by Minsk. This was stated at the “Path to Freedom” forum in Kyiv by Vadzim Kabanchuk, representative of the United Transitional Cabinet for defense and national security.
“I do not understand why this process is not being intensified, because from both an economic and military point of view it would be cheaper and easier for everyone to try to bring Belarus back into the pan-European security architecture than to leave each country alone with its challenges along the entire Belarusian border, which stretches 2,300 kilometers with Western countries and Ukraine,” he said, as reported by the Cabinet.
According to Kabanchuk, a more serious crisis is possible, in which Belarus could also become involved.
“In my view, the worst-case scenario is if Belarus, in line with the Kremlin’s plans, is drawn into a conflict similar to what we first saw in Donbas, and then it escalates into a full-scale war. This is the worst-case scenario. We must be ready to do everything possible now to ensure that Belarus, its civilian and security structures, are not drawn into such a scenario. And if this happens, we must extract Belarus from a state of de facto war as quickly as possible. The first two to three weeks would be decisive,” he said.
According to Kabanchuk, the Belarusian army numbers around 65,000 personnel and could be increased to 130,000 within a month. Additional resources include internal troops and Russian servicemen stationed in Belarus.
“It is now necessary to activate international coordination, especially among Eastern European countries that fully understand the danger of Belarus being drawn into the war. Belarusian democratic forces must also take a more active position,” Vadzim Kabanchuk emphasized.
“The cause of national liberation is, above all, the responsibility of Belarusians themselves. Our closest ally is Ukraine,” he added.