{"id":11526,"date":"2023-02-03T14:11:29","date_gmt":"2023-02-03T11:11:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/longreads\/kalinouski-regiment-steals-limelight\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","slug":"kalinouski-regiment-steals-limelight","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11526\/","title":{"rendered":"Kalino\u016dski regiment steals limelight"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n By Alaksandr K\u0142asko\u016dski, BPN<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n The Kastu\u015b Kalino\u016dski Regiment (KKR), a small unit formed of Belarusian volunteers operating under Ukrainian command, has attracted attention from various political groups, including heavyweights such as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Minsk, Moscow and others are trying to use it to further their interests.<\/span><\/b>\n<\/p>\n

Lavrov\u2019s indignation<\/h2>\n

\n\t The Russian foreign minister lashed out at Kyiv on February 2 for nurturing, arming and allowing the KKR to receive combat training at the frontline against Russia. He pointed out that the KKR had openly declared its mission to liberate Belarus after defeating Russia in Ukraine.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Russian officials have never talked about the KKR before, possibly unwilling to admit publicly that hundreds of Belarusians are fighting alongside with Ukrainians.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Lavrov raised the fury over the KKR to derail Kyiv\u2019s alleged overture to Minsk to sign a non-aggression pact.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t His statement also might be a warning to the Belarusian ruler against discussing any separate deals with Kyiv behind the Kremlin\u2019s back. The Russian foreign minister noted that he had discussed the Kyiv\u2019s move during his recent meeting with Alaksandr \u0141uka\u0161enka.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t There are signs that Minsk and Kyiv are holding behind-the-scenes negotiations as Ukraine is desperately trying to avoid a new attack from Belarus.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \u0141uka\u0161enka seems to be trying to avoid direct involvement in the Russian war against Ukraine. This is the point where his and Moscow\u2019s interests diverge.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Incidentally, the Belarusian strongman, at his meeting with Lavrov on January 19, praised Kyiv for not staging \u201cprovocations\u201d against Belarus.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t It was \u0141uka\u0161enka who broached the subject of a non-aggression pact. \u201cOn the one hand, they ask us not to go to war with Ukraine and not to move our troops there. They also suggest signing a non-aggression pact. On the other hand, they are preparing this rattlesnake mixture and are arming them [the KKR],\u201d he said on January 24, dropping a hint at separate talks between Minsk and Kyiv.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Lavrov\u2019s statement was clearly an attempt to restrain him.\n<\/p>\n

Pa\u017aniak poses for pictures with KKR warriors<\/h2>\n

\n\t Meanwhile, opposition politicians have been currying favor with the KKR.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Zianon Pa\u017aniak, a much-respected veteran of anti-imperialism politics, traveled to Ukraine last month to hand over a vehicle and a drone to the KKR. The money for the equipment was raised by his Volnaja Bie\u0142aru\u015b initiative.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Pa\u017aniak, 78, also traveled to Bakhmut to pose for pictures with soldiers on the frontline.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Volnaja Bie\u0142aru\u015b, founded in the summer of 2020, positions itself as a national liberation movement. Its top priority is the support of Ukraine fighting off the Russian invasion.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \u201cMaybe for the first time in the hundred years since the Bolshevik coup . . . we have a chance to destroy this \u2018Mordor,\u2019 which is the cause of two world wars,\u201d Pa\u017aniak said about Russia. \u201cNothing will happen until this empire is destroyed.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

KKR figures prominently in opposition\u2019s agenda<\/h2>\n

\n\t Belarusian opposition leader \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja formed a cabinet in August 2022, picking Valeryj Sacha\u0161\u010dyk, a retired lieutenant colonel, as her aide responsible for relations with Belarusian armed groups, including the KKR. Participants at the conference, during which the cabinet was unveiled, stressed that opponents should explore various scenarios, including the use of force, to unseat \u0141uka\u0161enka.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Since then, Sacha\u0161\u010dyk has been making inroads with the KKR, but the latter has somewhat distanced itself from the Cichano\u016dskaja camp and declared political ambitions of its own.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The KKR is under orders from Kyiv, which also uses it in its games against Minsk. Kyiv is unlikely to authorize a KKR liberation march on Belarus. It is tempted to use it as a scarecrow, so that \u0141uka\u0161enka will not send his troops to Ukraine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Alaksandr K\u0142asko\u016dski, BPN The Kastu\u015b Kalino\u016dski Regiment (KKR), a small unit formed of Belarusian volunteers operating under Ukrainian command, has attracted attention from various political groups, including heavyweights such as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Minsk, Moscow and others are trying to use it to further their interests. Lavrov\u2019s indignation The Russian foreign minister lashed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[22],"class_list":["post-11526","longreads","type-longreads","status-publish","hentry","rubric-theviewer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nKalino\u016dski regiment steals limelight | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"By Alaksandr K\u0142asko\u016dski, BPN The Kastu\u015b Kalino\u016dski Regiment (KKR), a small unit formed of Belarusian volunteers operating under Ukrainian command,\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11526\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Kalino\u016dski regiment steals limelight | Pozirk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By 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