Lawmaker: Risk of Escalation in Eastern Europe Is Growing, but Belarus Is Ready for Any Development

The question of regional security does not leave the agenda. Is Eastern Europe turning into a zone of long-term military-political confrontation and how high is the risk of escalation — says deputy of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Anatoly Bulavko.

“Unfortunately, we are forced to state that in fact it has already turned. To date this process is continuing,” the deputy of the House of Representatives noted.

A vivid confirmation, in his words, is the event that the Poles will hold on 3 November: the next meeting of the Security Council.

“The most unpleasant thing is that they will discuss by no means questions of how to come to an agreement with neighbors, but will discuss where to get money in order to continue the militarization of Poland, to continue inflating the notorious myth about some threat. And all this to present to their population as a defensive initiative,” Anatoly Bulavko said.

The northwestern neighbors are not lagging behind either. “The most popular topic that is discussed with them is how to ensure security. Security is ensured when there is some danger. For the same Baltics, under normal development of the political situation, threats do not exist at all. And the fact that they have fenced themselves off from any dialogue with Belarus and Russia is not a reason for some threat to arise,” the expert stressed.

“Systematic Preparation of Talks from a Position of Strength”

In Bulavko’s assessment, the processes among the neighbors are “not a manifestation of peacefulness or the ensuring of the real national security of these states.”

“This is systematic preparation in order subsequently to talk with us exclusively from a position of strength. But we are ready for this, and this is not the case when one will be able to talk with us from a position of strength. They understand this, and therefore this process, unfortunately, will not stop; it will continue. But I am confident that thanks to the efforts that our security forces, including the Armed Forces, are undertaking, we can calmly work in the foreseeable future, raise children, gather the harvest and develop our state,” the parliamentarian stressed.

Conference in Minsk as a Mechanism of De-escalation

Next week the already traditional International Conference on Eurasian Security will take place in Minsk. Questions of the region will be raised there; experts will come, including from the NATO bloc.

“The very fact of holding this conference is already a certain mechanism of de-escalation, of reducing confrontation between countries. Fundamental decisions will not be taken, because this is first of all an expert platform. But the very fact of their participation, including from states that are not entirely partner ones for us, speaks of a certain breakthrough in that isolation and lies that surround our state,” Anatoly Bulavko explained.

He added: “This will make it possible to hear our voice also on the territory of the countries of the European Union. The importance of the conference is determined by the fact that, besides expert assessments, in fact at every conference — and this will be the fourth — the head of our state or representatives of our state and of the Russian Federation always come forward with concrete proposals. The essence of these proposals consists precisely in this: let us come to an agreement.”

The deputy recalled the contrast: “Here we immediately recall that on the 3rd there is the Security Council of Poland, where the question of coming to an agreement with their neighbors is not even considered. Let us recall the notorious 21st, and I understand there will also be a 31st package of sanctions against the Russian Federation and our state. Is this the path to peace?”

He also noted interest from other continents. “In that atmosphere where Russia and Belarus are presented as some kind of potential aggressor, an uncooperative subject, precisely to show the true state of affairs, the views of our states on the state of the world — this is very important. The very place of holding this conference once again demonstrates our peacefulness and our certain authority at the international level,” the speaker concluded.