"This is alien to us" - Belenchenko on attempts to rewrite history and compare USSR to Nazi Germany

In Belarus, great attention is paid to historical truth and historical memory, as Belarusians continue to face attempts to distort the past, and the main fake news factory is located right on their western borders.

Nikita Belenchenko, Director of the Center for International Studies at the Faculty of International Relations at Belarusian State University, discussed the risks of playing with history and the role it plays in regional security.

"The most absurd thing is comparing a Soviet soldier to an occupier from Nazi Germany. This is something alien to us; we cannot accept it. They are trying to equate the history of the Republic of Belarus or the Soviet Union with the Nazi past, so that it will subsequently be compliant with the actions of Western elites," said Nikita Belenchenko, commenting on the current narratives of Western politicians.

He also recalled that the revision of history was actively implemented back in the 1980s, giving a specific example. "If we go back to the 1980s, when this was actively introduced into Lithuanian politics, the main sponsors of all of this were the West," the political scientist noted, adding that the driving forces included the United States and major European countries – France, Germany, and, to some extent, Italy.

"A large portion of our population perished during World War II. And we are not ready to accept this, even in the context of future generations. We are not ready to deny that our grandfather or great-grandfather participated in the defeat of Nazi Germany, and Western elites benefit from this," emphasized the director of the Center for International Studies at the Faculty of International Relations at Belarusian State University.

Speaking about the present day, he linked historical awareness with security issues. "We subconsciously understand that we cannot extend military rhetoric to the territory of the Republic of Belarus, because war only contributes to destruction. Looking forward, we will take any diplomatic or political action to reduce negative rhetoric," the expert concluded.