DISINFO: The US plans to turn Belarus into its colony, a coup and foreign military invasion may happen
SUMMARY
The fate of all authoritarian rulers who tried to agree with Washington and collective West was tragic. In a new Belarus, which the West is planning to build on the ruins of the Union State of Belarus and Russia, the West does not need Alexander Lukashenko in any status. The US will not behave as the Kremlin, which tolerates Lukashenko’s demarches and does not interfere in Belarus’ domestic affairs. An appointment of US ambassador to Belarus means that the embassy will soon start reviewing the candidates to Belarus’ presidential position. Given the specifics of Belarus, Lukashenko may be overthrown not through the Maidan, but in a coup. In case someone suddenly backs up and attempts to save Belarus from turning into yet another US colony, the West may bring hundreds of Belarusian nationals who fought in Donbas on Kyiv’s side. Following the power change in Belarus, so-called peacekeeping forces from Poland or the Baltic states may enter and replace the Russian military in Belarus.
RESPONSE
This is a conspiracy theory which is consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin narratives about Western attempts to organise a colour revolution in Belarus and to disrupt Belarusian-Russian relations. The US and other Western countries do not have plans to organize a forceful power change in Belarus or to send any peacekeeping forces from Poland or the Baltic states. Belarusian authorities expelled US ambassador in 2008 in response to US sanctions introduced for the rigged presidential elections in Belarus and poor human rights record. The sides announced their plans to restore ambassadors during the US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale' s visit to Minsk in September 2019. This intention was confirmed during US State Secretary Mike Pompeo visit to Minsk on 1 February 2020. See earlier disinformation cases alleging that the West dreams of tearing Belarus apart from Russia and to organise a Ukraine-like scenario, that Belarusian opposition leader Andrei Sannikau prepares a coup with US military assistance, and that pro-Western Belarusian opposition prepares a revolution with the assistance of armed Ukrainian nationalists.