Belarus is a Nyet!

[Tomconroy]

Last edited Tue Mar 15, 2022, 01:33 PM - Edit history (1)

I won't link to the story but Tass is reporting that Belarus has declined to join in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
They don't want to back a loser. I doubt if China will either.


Decided to put up the link since there's so much interest. Not sure who in the West is reporting this. Might be a DU scoop!


https://tass.com/defense/1422369

[liberalla]

1. That's not what I expected! But good for them! I bet Putin is pissed...

[Ray Bruns]

16. I think Alexander Lukashenko sees which way the wind is blowing

and wants no part of this fiasco.

And I really can't see why China would too.

[Happy Hoosier]

2. Some of the intel experts I follow....

Have been reporting that there have been threats of wide-spread officer resignations or even mass-mutiny if the order came to cross the border.

Interesting times.

[obamanut2012]

5. How interesting

Thanks for posting!

[smb]

10. Lukashenko Needs His Troops At Home To Protect His Own Sorry Butt nt

[Achilleaze]

3. "We're just not that into slaughtering innocent civilians." - Belarus

Unlike the Russians, and their whiney Republican cheerleaders.

[brewens]

7. You'd think. They have a good case for having taken the worst of it in WWII. It should make them

reluctant.

[getagrip_already]

4. this is what diplomacy looks like......

Nobody will issue a press release. Nobody will take a victory lap.

But nations can be influenced to reconsider their plans with enough pressure put in the right places.

I wouldn't be surprised if various other local countries had very direct conversations. Not saying it was the US, at least not directly, but this has fingerprints of what diplomats do.

[Crunchy Frog]

6. I'm guessing that they don't want to trigger major unrest in their own country.

The Russian military wouldn't be able to intervene this time, as they are otherwise occupied.

[C_U_L8R]

8. Failure has no friends.

Sooner or later, Putin's inner circle will figure it out. Happy Ides of March.

[pwb]

9. Russia has been built up to be way more than it really is.

They are not a pimple on our ass in every way. All they have is little fake tough Putty.

[Salviati]

12. A potempkin superpower...

If putin was concerned about his legacy, he's got no worries now. He'll go down in history as the one who exposed this fact, and increasingly likely as the man who singlehandedly set Russia on a path to destruction. He'll be remembered for a long time.

[samsingh]

19. putin's power mirrors that of trump's financial skills

[c-rational]

20. Agreed. Russia always punched above its weight because of their nuclear weapons and bluster.

The arrogance will work no more, and donnie's suggestion that puttie is a genius should comes back to bite him.

[yardwork]

11. I thought they were already involved. I'll have to read more.

[maxsolomon]

22. they allowed Rusher to stage and invade from their territory.

you're right. they're already involved. there's no way this statement comes as a surprise to Putin. he probably approved it.

head fakes and gaslighting.

[Wingus Dingus]

13. Might be a statement to avoid further sanctions, or a deception--

but most likely to prevent unrest and a coup attempt against him. He knows his own people already hate him.

[gab13by13]

14. Belarus doesn't want sanctions.

[Celerity]

15. They already are sanctioned, to a point, just not to Russian levels.

[colorado_ufo]

17. China will politely "consider" it and then decline, because

1 - The West, although politically an opponent, offers so much economic opportunity;
2 - Sanctions would weaken China's budding economic growth;
3 - They are a very smart people. Why would they help strengthen such an aggressive "next door neighbor?"

Russia weakens, China strengthens. It's a no-brainer. If they offer any aid at all (which I doubt), it will be an insulting token.

[orwell]

18. China is talking out of both sides of their mouth...

...I am really disappointed in Xi. I thought he was smarter than this.

My opinion of China has changed drastically in the past couple of weeks. While I always viewed them as an economic competitor, I now view them as a possible military one as well.

Belt and Road is starting to look like NATO for autocracies...

[SheltieLover]

21. Great news!

Ty!

[ancianita]

27. Really? That's what Russians back home think, too.

[James48]

23. Huh?

I’ve already heard, days ago, or Belorussian soldiers taking part.

[BGBD]

24. Ok then...

Does that mean the Russian troops staging and operating from Belarus are there as an occupying force? Is Belarus working to evict them?

[LiberalLovinLug]

28. Yes. Its one thing to say you won't help....but they've BEEN helping for awhile now

and so how much does one trust Lukashenko to stop? He allowed 30,000 Russian troops into his country to attack from the north. As well as using his country for launching pads for missiles and planes. I don't see any news about him kicking anyone out.

He also relies on Russia now that he made the choice of brutal suppression in his own country. Stealing the last election with the help of Russian assurances to back up his regime with military support against their own population. So this has been a kind of favour to Putin in payback.

Problem is Lukashenko has laid his bed with Russia and it is the main lifeline he has after being boycotted by the West over his undemocratic brutality. So he cannot just refuse Putin like that. I suspect much of this statement is to ease off criticism and sanctions. But until I see that Russian troops and equipment have been ordered out of his country, I'm not buying it.

[Warpy]

25. Belarus is much smaller than Ukraine

and Lukshenko has stayed in power as long as he has not only by Moscow's good graces, Belarus mostly works. That means the people are still poor, but costs are low and services are widely available. A population used to Soviet era repression mostly shrugged at Lukashenko's repression but the young are restless. A war would finish him and he knows it.

Think of TFG invading Mexico and demanding help from Guatemala.

I think he was hoping the Russian army at the border combined with threats would bring Ukraine back into the Russian fold.

Note to Putin: when even Lukashenko thinks you're on a fool's errand, you are.

And I will link the story: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/belarus-leader-says-minsk-wont-join-russian-operation-ukraine-belta-reports-2022-03-01/

[ancianita]

26. This is propaganda. You do see that Tass is a Russian news agency, right? Why would DU believe it?