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Dictators Understand Only the Language of Power, Says Tsikhanouskaya

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 Belarus is emerging as an ever more unpredictable actor in Eastern Europe, with the nation moving deeper into Russia’s sphere of control, according to opposition figurehead Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in a conversation with Euronews. She cautioned that Belarus might become a starting point for potential military actions targeting Ukraine and other Western neighbors.


 In February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed during an event in Munich that Russia intends to deploy as many as 150,000 soldiers in Belarus within the current year, possibly posing a threat to NATO nations. As Belarus continues to move closer politically towards Moscow, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya contends that the country’s autonomy is under threat, leading to ambiguity regarding both its destiny and the safety of surrounding states.


 For Tsikhanouskaya, sanctions continue to be an essential means of preventing additional Russian aggression. She stated, “The focus is on transforming our nation, and sanctions serve as one of the most potent tools.” According to her, “A steadfast strategy is necessary when dealing with dictators; we believe that sanctions should be used to shape their conduct.” Furthermore, she explained, “We advocate using these measures as leverage during negotiations, but ultimately, our objective remains freeing all individuals and conducting genuine democratic elections,” she conveyed.
 The Europe Conversation.


 Recent indications of increasing integration between Russia and Belarus have sparked concerns. Although Belarusian residents can now take part in elections, Tsikhanouskaya believes this represents a move towards Belarus being absorbed by Russia. She described it as a gradual annexation occurring with Lukashenko’s consent, noting he acts as Putin's pawn. According to her, Lukashenko is willing to trade away their sovereignty, independence, and nation to Russia simply to retain his grip on power.


 She contended that the process of Russification has been progressively moving forward, as agreements have been struck without regard for Belarus’s national interests. “Regardless of voter turnout, these events cannot be classified as genuine elections,” remarked Tsikhanouskaya. She added that it is indeed alarming that under Lukashenko’s leadership, Belarus is being drawn nearer to Russia through his actions.


 Although Tsikhanouskaya doesn’t view the circumstances as involving direct territorial seizure akin to what happened in Ukraine, she thinks it revolves around ensuring a leadership devoted to Moscow. She explains, “Their aim is to establish a compliant administration that gives the semblance of sovereignty while actually having officials answerable to Putin. In this way, they could utilize our territory for potential invasions—such as into the European Union—or merely advance their propaganda goals. Essentially, they desire a marionette regime within the nation.”

<h2>
 Launchpad for an invasion
</h2>

 During the Munich Security Conference, Zelenskyy delivered a strong warning that Russia could potentially utilize Belarus as a staging ground for an assault, much like the attack on Ukraine in 2022. Tsikhanouskaya echoed his apprehensions. She stated, “As long as Lukashenko remains in control, Belarusian territory may serve once more as a starting point for an offensive against Ukraine or our western neighbors.”


 The possibility of such an invasion still remains uncertain. "This situation demonstrates that the democratic world struggles to clearly articulate their stance on accepting oppression or whether invasions of sovereign nations can occur unchecked. They lack effective means to address this issue. There is a chance that these forces could reach the borders of the European Union."


 Tsikhanouskaya contended that autocrats only comprehend the discourse of strength, stating: "Should you fail to wield this authority, should you not exhibit courage and daring, dictators will assert, 'Very well, we shall trample over the subsequent red line.'"

<h2>
 Democratic aspirations remain intact
</h2>

 Tsikhanouskaya stayed optimistic about Belarus' future, acknowledging that transformation could occur via multiple pathways. She stated, "Transformation in Belarus might unfold through numerous channels, yet the crucial aspect is that democratic entities, our community, and Europe should be ready for such shifts."


 Even though the present situation seems challenging, Tsikhanouskaya felt that Belarusians’ desire for democracy has not disappeared. “It’s important to keep in mind that those protesting on the streets are just one segment of the opposition against the government. The absence of visible unrest does not imply resignation; instead, it suggests that citizens are strategizing and will be prepared when an opportunity for transformation arises.”


 According to Tsikhanouskaya, there are greater opportunities for changing the regime in Belarus compared to Russia.

Dictators Understand Only the Language of Power, Says Tsikhanouskaya

Unknown military, politics, politics and government, russian politics, ukraine politics

Belarus is emerging as an ever more unpredictable actor in Eastern Europe, with the nation moving deeper into Russia’s sphere of control, according to opposition figurehead Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya …

Trump's Unintended Move Boosts Putin’s Wallet

Unknown foreign policy, government of russia, russian, russian politics, vladimir putin

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 The Russian oil sector might inadvertently gain an advantage due to Donald Trump’s recent choice to enforce a 25% tax on purchasers of Venezuelan crude.
 


 This action seems intended to weaken China, which is Venezuela’s primary oil buyer, as part of the continuing U.S.-China trade conflict.


 According to
 
 David Goldwyn
 
 The Energy Advisory Consultancy’s president
 Goldwyn Global Strategies
 , these tariffs could increase global demand for Russian oil, despite the Western sanctions that have significantly cut Russia’s oil revenue.


 To evade these penalties, Moscow has been depending on what it calls its "صند
 shadow fleet
 of global tanker operations aimed at delivering oil to prospective purchasers.


 Should Venezuelan oil be largely inaccessible to all but the United States, Russia might likely become the second biggest supplier of heavy crude,
 
 Goldwyn
 
 said.


 The 25% duties are scheduled to be implemented on April 2.


 (QG - Source: Newsweek - Image: © Unsplash)

Trump's Unintended Move Boosts Putin’s Wallet

Unknown foreign policy, government of russia, russian, russian politics, vladimir putin

The Russian oil sector might inadvertently gain an advantage due to Donald Trump’s recent choice to enforce a 25% tax on purchasers of Venezuelan crude. This action seems intended to weaken Ch…

Trump Warns Americans of WW3 Amid Ukraine Crisis

Unknown donald trump, military, russia ukraine conflict, russian politics, ukraine politics

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 President
 Donald Trump
 has warned that American troops 'could be' involved if
 Russia
 's war on Ukraine escalates to 'World War III'.


 Trump, 78, issued the stark warning on
 Fox News
 on Tuesday, just hours after he spoke on the phone with Russian President Vladimir
 Putin
 for 'almost two hours'.


 'We want to get it over with,' Trump said of the war during his interview with
 
 The Ingraham Angle host
 
 Laura Ingraham
 , admitting that 'Russia has the advantage'.


 The
 Republican
 , who claims his call with Putin went 'great', pushed the Kremlin leader to accept to a full 30-day ceasefire to no avail. Putin did, however, agree to temporarily stop attacking Ukrainian energy facilities.


 'Right now, you have a lot of guns pointing at each other and a ceasefire without going a little bit further would have been tough,' Trump told Ingraham.


 He further suggested that his push for a ceasefire was part of a larger bid to keep US troops out of the war.


 'Look, we're doing this – there are no Americans involved. There could be if you end up in World War III over this, which is so ridiculous,' he warned. 'But, you know, strange things happen.'


 Despite Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr
 Zelensky
 having agreed to a limited ceasefire to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, both
 Kyiv
 and
 Moscow
 have now accused each other of launching damaging air attacks early Wednesday.

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 Regional authorities in Sumy, northeast Ukraine said that Russia's drone attacks damaged two hospitals there,
 causing no injuries but forcing the evacuation of patients and hospital staff
 .


 A 60-year-old male sustained injuries, and multiple residences were affected.
 damaged during a Russian drone assault on the area surrounding Kyiv, which is near the Ukrainian capital
 , Mykola Kalashnyk, the regional governor, stated early Wednesday morning.


 Zelensky said that Russia
 Over 40 drones were launched against Ukraine within the hours after the conversation between Trump and Putin took place.
 .


 The Ukrainian military stated on Wednesday that its anti-aircraft defense units
 downed 72 out of 145 drones dispatched by Russia during nighttime assaults
 It also mentioned that 56 drones were lost, as the Ukrainian military employed electronic warfare tactics to divert them.


 'The Russian attack
 impacted Sumy, Odesa, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, and Chernihiv regions
 ,' the military said on Telegram.


 Zelensky had agreed to the US proposed 30-day ceasefire before the Putin-Trump call and later
 supported the more limited ceasefire on energy targets
 .


 But after Russia launched its air attacks early on Wednesday, the Ukrainian president urged the world to block any attempts by Moscow to drag out the war.


 'Russia is
 attacking civilian infrastructure and people - right now
 Andriy Yermak, who serves as Chief of Staff for Zelensky, mentioned this late at night via Telegram.

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 The Russian defense ministry stated that their forces took out 57 Ukrainian drones during the night, with 35 of these being intercepted over the Kursk region near the border.


 The ministry discloses only the number of drones that were destroyed, not the quantity launched by Ukraine.


 The authorities in Russia’s southern Krasnodar territory reported early Wednesday that they had been targeted by a Ukrainian drone assault.
 ignited a minor blaze at an oil storage facility situated close to the village of Kavkazskaya
 .


 Nobody got hurt in the blaze, which affected an area of 20 square meters (215 square feet). However, 30 workers had to be evacuated from the premises. The administration of the southern Russian region shared this information in a Telegram post.


 'The operations at the site have been put on hold,' stated the administration.


 The Russian SHOT news channel on Telegram shared a video showing fires burning at nighttime in what appeared to be an industrial zone.

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 SHOT mentioned that the Kavkazskaya oil transshipment terminal serves as a crucial hub intended for transferring Russian petroleum via rail and integrating it with the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) pipeline network for export purposes.


 Reuters was unable to confirm the SHOT report independently.


 Russia's aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia said that for a couple of hours overnight flights were
 suspended from airports in Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod and Nizhnekamsk, Russia, all hundreds kilometres east of Moscow,
 to 'ensure air safety'.


 The agency did not say what was the reason for the suspension, but it usually suspends flights when there are reports of drone attacks.

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Trump Warns Americans of WW3 Amid Ukraine Crisis

Unknown donald trump, military, russia ukraine conflict, russian politics, ukraine politics

PODCAST: All the latest headlines, including Trump’s bold move to void Biden’s pardons and Gavin Newsom’s unexpected statue plans President Donald Trump has warned that American troop…