Фото: @dzermant
One of Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s leading propagandists, Aliaksei Dzermant, has responded to criticism from Russia’s Z-community that Alyaksandr Lukashenka is not helping Russia kill Ukrainians. In Dzermant’s view, this is not the case. He explained why, according to him, the Belarusian regime’s assistance is important for Russia.
“Well, if not an ally, then not an ally. Although military alliance comes in different forms. For example, participation in defence and deterrence on the western border, covering the Kaliningrad region, the work of the entire military-industrial complex of the country for Russia’s frontline needs under conditions of technological blockade. Or the transfer to Russia of virtually the entire stockpile of ammunition,” Dzermant wrote on his Telegram channel.
He was responding to the claim that “North Korea is Russia’s only military ally.”
“The direct participation of DPRK servicemen in the special military operation undoubtedly deserves respect, but it must be understood that this country has been preparing for an offensive war for decades, has a significant number of trained special operations forces, some of which could be sent to the SVO zone without compromising its own security. And the DPRK is located very far from Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic states; it is not surrounded by them,” the propagandist continued.
According to Dzermant, it is not advantageous for Russia for Belarus to become a full participant in the conflict.
“What would happen if Belarus did the same — the western and southern borders would be left exposed due to the transfer of trained fighters from there to the SVO. This would create an opportunity to increase military pressure on the border from Ukraine and Poland, as well as provide a political pretext for invasion, since Belarus would become a full-fledged participant in the conflict.
As a result, hostilities would, with a high degree of probability, cover the entire territory from the Baltic to the Black Sea. The enemy would very much like to fight Russia in Belarus as well, not only in Ukraine. Would we have enough strength to fight on such an extended front? I doubt it,” he said.
Dzermant said he is convinced that Belarus “is fulfilling for Russia the role that all of us together are capable of handling.”
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Aliaksei Dzermant is director of the Northern Eurasia Centre, editor-in-chief of the journal History and Modernity, and a member of the Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus.