Minister of Defense of #Belarus Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin: Russian troops will stay in Belarus because “Presidents of Belarus and Russian Federation have decided” to do so.
Two things to note in that announcement:
- Minister of Defense of **Belarus** cites President of **Russian Federation** as a decision maker - officially Lieutenant General Khrenin is not a subordinate of Mr Putin;
- Russian flag on photo.
“Due to the increase in military activity near the external borders of the Union State and the aggravation of the situation in the Donbas the Presidents of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation have decided to continue checks of the response forces of the Union State
Today’s exchange between Putin and Sergey Naryshkin, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia
TRANSCRIPT
Putin: ”Are you offering to commence a negotiation process?”
Naryshkin: “No. I…”
P: “Or to recognize their sovereignty?”
N: “I… I…”
P: “Just say it as it is”
N: “I will support the proposal about… recognition…”
P: “You will support or you do support? Sergey, just say it as it is.”
N: “I do support the proposal”
P: “Then say it as it is. Yes or no”
N: “[barely audible] yes…”
P: “You do support?…”
N: ”I do support the proposal about Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics joining Russian Federation.”
How the West should deal with Russia.
Rasa Juknevičienė's @RJukneviciene, former Minister of Defense of Lithuania (2008-12) take.
"The most important is not to be afraid, despite that Russia is a nuclear power, despite that tensions are on the table."
@RJukneviciene "Don't feel guilty. We are not guilty. NATO is not an offensive structure."
@RJukneviciene Putin's tactics, long-term, @RJukneviciene's take.
"Kremlin is using attacks below Article 5 all the time to create low tension wars against democracies. Because for democracies it's very dangerous to live in these tensions."
Previously Mr Malakhouski has spent 3 days at notorious Okrestino jail in #Minsk. He fled Belarus right after his release. A criminal case is opened against him by Lukashenka regime for an alleged attempt to hit an official with his car. Poland has issued him a humanitarian visa
Transcript of the leaked recording of the conversation between Krystsina Tsimanouskaya and 2 Belarus sport officials: the head of the Belarus athletics team Yuri Moisevich and Belarus athletics team representative Artur Shumak.
Full text.
Shumak: Well, we have a situation here. It must be resolved somehow. There is no way around it. And we've got the following instruction: You’re flying home today.
Just let me finish and don’t rush to any conclusions. The situation is that there is a big ask: You come home — you don’t write anything anywhere, and you don’t make any comments. Let me convey to you word for word what I've been told, just to avoid any [misunderstanding] later.