DISINFO: The West destabilises Belarus to destroy Russian civilisation, an alternative route of human development
SUMMARY
Leading Western think tanks set the trends and define collective West policies towards Belarus. An analysis of publications by Northern American think tanks demonstrates that the main Belarus-related strategic goals were to create conflict in Belarus, to topple Alyaksandr Lukashenka, and to tear Belarus away from Russia. This would become the West’s success in destroying Russian civilisation as an alternative route of human development. It is clear that Poles and Lithuanians were only the executors of a thoroughly planned hybrid attack. However, Westerners failed to bring discord to Belarus-Russia relations which did not allow them to organise a colour revolution and to knock Belarus out of Russian civilisation. Belarus is just a square on a chessboard. The Western strategy to withdraw Belarus from the Russian camp remains long-term and unchanged. The Belarusian proposal to become a bridge amid the geopolitical conflict was nearly burnt down. The West tried to put Belarusians into impoverishment and emigration just as happened in Serbia, Ukraine and Libya where colour revolutions replaced legal authorities.
RESPONSE
This article promotes recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about West's attempt to organise a colour revolution in Belarus and to disrupt Belarusian-Russian relations, and about Poland and Lithuania as the US's puppets. It also promotes the concept of the Russian world / civilisation and Russia superiority by claiming an "alternative route of human development" The Russian world is an imperial Russian and Russian irredentist ideology that is a favoured pro-Kremlin narrative aimed at weakening the national identity of Belarusians and Ukrainians, as well as their sovereignty. Belarus and Ukraine are well-defined nation-states with a long history, which preserved their languages, literature and identity, despite foreign rule for long periods. There is no evidence that Poland, the Baltic states or any other Western governments are in any involved in the protests in Belarus. Lithuania and Poland are independent states, which shape their own foreign and domestic policies. The US is an important ally to the EU but EU policy is not determined by the US, as explained by the EU High Representative. The large-scale Belarusian protests began in Minsk on August 9 against the results of the presidential election, and then in other cities. People revolted against election fraud and police violence towards thousands of rally participants. The European Council condemned the violence against peaceful protesters and announced that it would soon adopt a list of sanctions for those responsible for violence in Belarus. "As the elections in Belarus were neither free nor fair, and did not meet international standards, the EU does not recognise the results presented by the Belarus authorities," is mentioned in a European Council press release. However, Western countries are not waging any "hybrid attack" as alleged in the publication. Pro-Kremlin media frequently use disinformation narratives about popular protests around the world allegedly incited and funded by the US and other Western states, including colour revolutions in post-Soviet states, the “Arab Spring” revolts, Euromaidan in Ukraine, protests in Catalonia and others. This narrative claims that protests, disorders and civil uprisings are never manifestations of popular discontent but are “colour revolutions” directed and funded by the West. Read earlier disinformation cases claiming that Russia saved Belarus from Western bombing like in Yugoslavia, that the West destroyed the USSR and is currently targeting the Union State between Belarus and Russia, that the EU is trying to disrupt Belarus-Russia relations, that the West's only interest in Belarus is to make it anti-Russian, and that Belarus faces either normal development under Russia or a forced Polonization and economic devastation.