international guest
Referendum in Belarus: "The new status of Minsk will allow Moscow to store its nuclear weapons there"
Audio 06:20
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko chairs a meeting with military officials in Minsk, Belarus, February 24, 2022. © Nikolay Petrov/BelTA/via REUTERS
By: Charlotte Deroin
While fighting is taking place in Kharkiv and Kiev on the third day of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Vladimir Putin for almost thirty years, is organizing a referendum on Sunday February 27 to modify his Constitution.
Referendum described as illegitimate by the opposition, which accuses him of wanting to cling to power.
Another provision of this referendum worries Westerners.
In particular article 18 which defines Belarus as a neutral state.
What does that imply?
Our guest Olga Gille Belova, lecturer at Bordeaux Montaigne University, specialist in post-Soviet countries is our international guest at RFI.
Belarus
Ukraine
Russia