{"id":75912,"date":"2024-03-27T17:49:55","date_gmt":"2024-03-27T14:49:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/75912\/"},"modified":"2024-03-28T15:10:26","modified_gmt":"2024-03-28T12:10:26","slug":"minsk-may-tighten-screws-after-moscow-attack","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/75912\/","title":{"rendered":"Minsk may tighten screws after Moscow attack"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka has always cast himself as an international player, by meddling and commenting on developments, especially in Russia. The recent terrorist attack was no exception.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n \"\"\n
\n
\n\n Fire after the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall\n <\/div>\n \n
\n (Sputnik \/ Maxim Blinov)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Those captured in connection with the attack on the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk near Moscow are giving testimonies. No surprise, confessions to any crime can be extracted by torture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka draws contrast with Russia<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

“We were in contact with President [Vladimir] Putin for 24 hours. We worked very closely. You know how it ended. This is just evidence of how two presidents and special services should work in the Union State,” the Belarusian leader told Vitaly Khotsenko, governor of Russia’s Omsk province, on March 25.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, the heroes who neutralized the terrorists have been named, and they are not security officers but \u0141uka\u0161enka and Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Belarusian strongman likes to demonstrate his involvement in high-profile developments, especially when it comes to incidents in Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More often than not, he used terrorist attacks in Russia to contrast peace in Belarus with chaos in the neighboring country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2004, on the day Russians were mourning for the Beslan attack victims, \u0141uka\u0161enka announced a referendum in Belarus to remove the two-term limit on presidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Savior of Russia from Wagner PMC rebellion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After 2020, the Belarusian regime’s dependence on the Kremlin’s support has increased dramatically. So did \u0141uka\u0161enka’s involvement in Russian politics. Belarus ended up being Moscow’s only ally in its war against Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this context, \u0141uka\u0161enka’s statements during last year\u2019s Wagner PMC rebellion are particularly interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He openly admitted that his regime relied on Putin\u2019s support for survival. “If Russia collapses, we will all be under the rubble. . . . This turmoil would immediately spread to Belarus.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka made amends for his humiliation of August 2020, when he had to beg Putin for help. During the Wagner mutiny, he made the Russian ruler to ask him for help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusian propaganda portrayed \u0141uka\u0161enka as the one who settled the conflict between the Kremlin and Yevgeny Prigozhin, presenting him as the savior of Russia from turmoil and civil war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He probably thought that the rebellion was a symptom of Putin’s political weakness, and that his own political weight in Russian politics had grown to the point that he had almost become Russia’s co-regent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Putin and I are to blame for not acting in time . . . I am as much involved in these developments as President Putin.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conflicting claims<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the first hours after the terrorist attack, Russian media did not know how to react, waiting for instructions from the Kremlin. In the evening, national networks continued to broadcast entertainment programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Minsk responded immediately. State institutions organized mourning ceremonies across the country; high-ranking officials commented on the attack; and the state media covered a solidarity action outside the Russian Embassy in Minsk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike Russia, Belarus did not declare a national day of mourning on March 24.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka was not the only one to talk about Belarus’ role in allegedly neutralizing terrorists. According to Minsk, Belarusian security services helped Russian counterparts to capture the attackers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The head of the KGB is in direct contact with his counterpart [in Moscow]. And in fact, the main task last night was to prevent the terrorists from escaping across our common border. The task was accomplished,” Belarusian Ambassador to Russia D\u017amitryj Krutoj said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russian officials have not confirmed the involvement of Belarusian security services. In fact, Belarusian officials’ statements conflicted with the Kremlin’s story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russia\u2019s Federal Security Service (FSB) said that “after the terrorist attack, the criminals intended to cross the Russian-Ukrainian border and had appropriate contacts on the Ukrainian side.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Putin repeated the same claim: “They tried to escape and moved towards Ukraine, where, according to preliminary data, a window for them to cross the state border was arranged by the Ukrainian side.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Krutoj said, however, that the terrorists were trying to cross the Russian-Belarusian border (“our common border”).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only after the Kremlin pointed to alleged Ukrainian involvement did Belarusian state media begin to disseminate the Russian narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no doubt that Belarusian propaganda will now emphasize peace and order in Belarus and credit \u0141uka\u0161enka for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Possible escalation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The terrorist attack may now trigger an escalation of the Russian war against Ukraine and the transformation of Russia and Belarus towards totalitarianism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first sign of it was the public torture of suspected terrorists. Russia may introduce the death penalty for “traitors,” disconnect from the Internet and close borders. \u0141uka\u0161enka would certainly follow suit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka has always cast himself as an international player, by meddling and commenting on developments, especially in Russia. The recent terrorist attack was no exception. Those captured in connection with the attack on the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk near Moscow are giving testimonies. No surprise, confessions to any crime can be extracted by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":74900,"template":"","rubric":[22],"class_list":["post-75912","longreads","type-longreads","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-theviewer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMinsk may tighten screws after Moscow attack | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka has always cast himself as an international player, by meddling and commenting on developments, especially in Russia. 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