Tsikhanouskaya: Lukashenko would 'gladly' let Putin use Belarus to attack Ukraine
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya warns that Belarusian infrastructure is already being used for Russian military purposes and could be fully deployed at any moment for further escalation against Ukraine and EU states.
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, said there is a real threat that Russia could again use Belarusian territory to attack Ukraine from the north. She said that if Russia wanted to strike Ukraine again in any way from that direction, Alexander Lukashenko would "gladly" provide territory, logistics and infrastructure to help Vladimir Putin achieve his goals.
A symbiotic bond
Tsikhanouskaya dismissed hopes that Lukashenko could be pulled away from Putin, describing their relationship as a "special symbiotic friendship" in which each uses and needs the other. She said Belarusian infrastructure — including logistics networks and antennas used to direct drones — is already being used and could be fully deployed for the Kremlin's needs at any moment.
According to her, relay stations are being installed not only along the border with Ukraine but also along the border with European Union countries, meaning any escalation or provocation could target European nations as well as Ukraine.
Fear of Putin and economic dependence
Asked whether Lukashenko acts out of fear of Putin, Tsikhanouskaya answered yes, while stressing this in no way justifies his policies. She said Lukashenko has allowed Russia to infiltrate Belarusian media, education, the economy and the defense sector, effectively enabling a quiet occupation and intensive Russification of the country.
Tsikhanouskaya said Lukashenko has no interest in a Ukrainian victory, since Russia is his main political and economic backer — a weakened Putin would mean less support for his own regime. She noted that the Belarusian regime profits from the war, citing 500-600 Belarusian enterprises that produce optics and microchips, procure components for Russia's military industry in circumvention of sanctions, and supply Russia with petroleum products. She also said Belarus is building warehouses for the Russian marketplace Wildberries.
