Lukashenko suggests Belarus could have faced Ukraine-style invasion in 2020

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko suggested during a youth forum in Minsk that Belarus could have faced a fate similar to Ukraine if he had stepped down following the political crisis of 2020.

Speaking at the ‘Youth. Belarus. Future’ forum, Lukashenko claimed that Western powers attempted to detach Belarus from Russia during the massive protests that followed the 2020 presidential election. He stated, “If they had succeeded, we would have faced what is happening now in Ukraine.”

The remarks imply that maintaining a close alliance with Moscow serves as a safeguard against Russian military intervention. The 2020 elections, which Lukashenko claimed victory in, were met with widespread demonstrations and accusations of fraud from opposition leaders, including Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Russia provided support to Lukashenko during that period to maintain regional influence and stability.