DISINFO: Ukraine plans to destabilise Belarus through its TV channel
SUMMARY
One of Ukraine’s foreign policy objectives is identical to the West’s, i.e. to democratise Belarus, to overthrow Alexander Lukashenko, to impose Euro-Atlantic integration on Belarus and to rip it off Russia. With this aim, Kyiv has been attempting to broadcast its UATV channel on Belorussian TV to spread its content in the country. Furthermore, Ukraine tolerates arms trafficking to the territory of Belarus. Therefore, whereas Belarus plays the role of security donor for Ukraine, Ukraine undermines Belarus’ security.
RESPONSE
No evidence given for the EU's or Ukraine's plans to destabilise Belarus or to change its political regime. Neither the EU nor Ukraine have such foreign policy objectives. As for the alleged arms trafficking from Ukraine to Belarus, in late 2018, the heads of the Ukrainian and Belarusian state border committee publicly acknowledged that no organised channels of arms trafficking exist. Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about the threat of Ukraine's TV channel to Belarus, Maidan protests ignited by the West and about Western attempts to instigate colour revolutions in the EU neighbourhood and to organise Ukraine-like Maidan protests in Belarus. Ukrainian UATV was allowed to broadcast in Belarus based on the decision on the Belarus' Ministry of Information. The decision was made based on the positive conclusions of the Ministry's special committee, which analysed whether or not the TV channel spread information outlawed by Belorussian legislation. Furthermore, the fact that UATV has been included in the list of foreign TV channels allowed to broadcast in Belarus, does not necessarily mean that cable TV operators will regularly or even ever include this channel in their TV packages. So far no evidence exists that any Belorussian cable TV operator started broadcasting UATV.