Ukrainian expert: Elements of Russia’s hybrid aggression already seen in Belarus


Why won’t kissing with Putin help protect the sovereignty of Belarus? Why has our country become the object of hybrid aggression? Belsat.eu has picked out the most impotant fragments of  the public lecture ‘Hybrid Aggression: Burning Lessons’ delivered by Ukrainian political analyst Eugene Magda in Minsk.

Loyalty to Kremlin provides no safeguard against aggression

According to the expert, the loyalty to the Kremlin authorities will not give any guarantee against Russia’s hybrid aggression.

“Viktor Yanukovych was very tame, but it did not save him,” he said.

Eugene Magda stresses that the government should single out a social stratum on which it will rest in the event of a hybrid attack.

In his opinion, the Belarusian authorities foresaw the possibility of hybrid threats in the recent Military Doctrine. “But the Military Doctrine will not always work,” the expert warns.

Hybrid aggression already in Belarus

Hrodna 08 May 2017. Herman Sachuk / Belsat

Hybrid aggression is already a fact of Belarusian reality, the expert believes. Belarus is dominated by the Russian media. Of course, if the Russian TV makes another series about president Lukashenka, the Belarusian authorities will be able to block its broadcasting in the country. However, Russian propaganda has a major influence on Belarusians, he says. The Kremlin immediately responds to any manifestation of independence by Minsk.

Ukraine stands out

Russia expected Ukraine to be disintegrated in the summer of 2014. Russia’s plan was to create a chain of ‘people’s republics’ and cut Ukraine of the Azov and Black Sea ports. In fact, they were set to deprive the country of export possibilities, because the delivering goods by rail would become more complicated under war conditions. According to Magda, Russia failed to put the scenario into life.

Main target not Ukraine, but EU

Ukraine is not the main target of Russia’s aggression, the Kremlin is trying to destroy the European Union, to push it into the backyard of international politics, the expert believes.

At the same time, Russia’s invading Ukrainian territory has given a new impulse to NATO.

belsat.eu

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