International reporting
These Belarusians in solidarity with Ukraine
Audio 02:28
Photo taken from a video and published by the press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense on Friday, February 4, 2022, several rocket launchers fire during the joint Belarusian and Russian military exercises at the Brestsky firing range, Belarus.
(Illustration) AP
By: Marielle Vitureau
2 mins
Belarusians celebrated Freedom Day this Friday, March 25, a holiday celebrated only by the opposition.
On this day, in 1918, the Belarusians declared the independence of the Democratic Republic of Belarus.
Today, the country serves as a base for the Russians to attack Ukraine.
A situation that worries the Belarusians in the opposition.
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From our correspondent in Vilnius,
Belarusians from Vilnius came to protest in silence in front of the embassy.
They do not want this conflict against a country which is their close neighbour.
Until now, the links between Gomel, the big city in the east of Belarus, were much denser with Chernihiv, in Ukraine, than with Minsk, much further away.
But it is from this region that Russian troops attack Ukraine.
As Andrej Stryjak, head of Bysol, a large solidarity organization, tells us, the Belarusians on the spot are trying by all means to prevent them.
“
Our supporters are sabotaging the railways and it can only be fixed manually.
This slows missile progress.
And all the missiles that do not arrive in time to be loaded into the Russian bombers, are not launched on many cities in Ukraine.
»
A key role?
From their country, the Belarusians are trying to deliver humanitarian aid.
Those in Ukraine form combat units.
Andrej Viozanau teaches at the Belarusian University in Exile in Vilnius.
He has Ukrainian roots and grew up in Mariupol.
From abroad, helping Ukrainians financially is complicated.
“
The sanctions that apply to Belarus restrict the possibilities of aid.
Our bank accounts are blocked and I can no longer contribute money to help the Ukrainian army.
»
As of February 24, the opponent Svetlana Tikhanovskaia set up an anti-war committee.
“
There is no equality between Lukashenko and the Belarusians
,” recalls Franak Viacorka, his adviser.
“
Even Lukashenko's supporters are shocked.
They do not approve of this war.
In Belarus, only 3% of the population is for this operation according to polls.
If Belarusian troops enter Ukraine, it will cause unrest.
»
Fearing general mobilization and the worsening of the situation, many Belarusians are trying to leave the country.
For Andrej Strizhak from the organization Bysol, the outcome of the conflict is very important for Belarus.
“
The more the war in Ukraine weakens Russia and Putin, the greater our chances of asserting ourselves as a country.
»
In Vilnius, the Belarusians only want to know one thing: have their soldiers already crossed the border with Ukraine or not?
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