Don’t Let Lukashenko Off the Hook

He’s been Putin's accomplice and enabler, even if he’s now (mildly) criticizing the invasion of Ukraine.

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A sure sign that the Russian war effort against Ukraine isn’t going well is when the rats who had supported Vladimir Putin’s invasion start jumping ship—at least the ships the Ukrainians have not yet sunk. 

One of those rats is Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus’ illegitimate dictator for 28 years, who in a recent interview with the Associated Press seemed to offer mild criticism of the Russian military campaign against Ukraine. “I feel like this operation has dragged on,” Lukashenko said.

This marks a change for Lukashenko, who unambiguously sided with Putin in the latter’s decision to invade Ukraine and even afforded Russian forces the use of Belarusian territory to launch one part of their assault. Lukashenko stopped short of sending Belarusian forces into the fighting, in large part out of concern for the domestic reaction to such a move, but he did almost everything else to support the Russian military campaign. 

 The international community must prepare now to act against Lukashenko when Putin inevitably withdraws his support. For his complicity in Putin’s war crimes and crimes against humanity—as well as for his brutal crackdown inside Belarus after stealing the 2020 presidential election—Lukashenko deserves a place in The Hague alongside Putin.

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  1. Avatar photo
    Ben Connelly

    Here’s hoping Lukashenko’s regime collapses next.

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  2. Avatar photo
    Victor Clairmont

    He will do what Austria did after WWII:

    Blame Russia as Austria blamed Germany and pretend they did nothing wrong.

    So yeah! Let’s hold him to account this time.

    *shakes fist at Austria*

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  3. Avatar photo
    Jon McKinney

    As someone who lived in Belarus for six years. I can say Lukashenko deserves to be dragged into the street and shot. The horrors that he has put his own people through and the his collaboration with Putin are unforgivable.

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  4. Avatar photo
    Chris L

    According to Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov, a coup to topple Putin is already underway in Russia. Putin's fortunes are intimately tied with the Russian mafia, and since Lukashenko is essentially the appendix on Putin's colon, Lukashenko knows who's coming for him.

    I'm trying not to succumb to schadenfreude here, but it's always nice to see dictators get their just desserts. Hopefully this all comes to pass with a brighter future beyond it.

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    1. Avatar photo
      Ben Connelly

      Really? That’s huge. At the same time, if he knows that, it seems dangerous to speak publicly about it. That’s a good way to make the operation fail. Basic OPSEC right there.

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