DISINFO: Aggressive Polish actions pushed Belarus to even closer cooperation with Russia and China
SUMMARY
Briefly speaking, Poland has completely lost its influence on Belarus. This influence was low anyway – the Polish governments did not like all Belarusian elections, but from time to time, there were some meetings at the diplomatic level. Moreover, many [Polish] Russophobes hoped to attract Lukashenka into the orbit of Western influence when it became visible that Belarus occupied quite a restrained position regarding the civil war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the aggressive actions of Poland (political, not military) pushed Belarus even harder in the direction of the East – this country concluded strategic agreements with both Russia and China.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Western attempts to organise a colour revolution in Belarus presenting Poland as a country with hostile and aggressive plans towards it.
The claims that Poland was involved in unfriendly actions towards Belarus or that it has some aggressive geopolitical plans towards this country are unfounded. Poland is a neighbour of Belarus and continues to support the Belarusian people. Poland respects the principles of international law and does not intervene in the domestic affairs of any country.
Following the presidential elections in Belarus in August 2020, which were widely perceived as rigged by large parts of society, protests erupted in the country. On 19 August 2020, the European Council called the Belarus elections neither free nor fair and on 2 October 2020, the Council imposed restrictive measures against 40 individuals identified as responsible for repression and intimidation against peaceful demonstrators, opposition members, and journalists, as well as for misconduct of the electoral process. The Council added 15 members of the Belarusian authorities, including Alyaksandr Lukashenka, as well as his son and National Security Adviser Viktor Lukashenka, to the list of sanctions, on 6 November 2020.
On 21 June 2021, the EU adopted the fourth package of sanctions. The goal of these sanctions is to put pressure on the Belarusian political leadership to initiate a genuine and inclusive national dialogue with broader society and to avoid further repression.
See similar pro-Kremlin disinformation messages - Poland presented a plan of active interference in the domestic affairs of Belarus, Poland and Lithuania directly sponsor open extremist actions against Belarus, and the CIA will try to repeat a Maidan scenario in Belarus.