Thursday 19 Aug 2021 @ 13:20
Chatham House
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Belarus is new weapon in Putin’s hybrid warfare arsenal

EXPERT COMMENT

A tripartite group of the UK, US, and EU mapping out a common approach to Belarus can only be effective if discussions include how to deal with Russia.

On 9 August, the anniversary of last year’s fraudulent presidential elections in Belarus, the UK, the US, and Canada imposed sectoral sanctions on Belarus, targeting key exports such as potash and crude oil, and the UK closed its financial markets to Belarusian debt and securities. 

President Aliaksandr Lukashenka responded by saying the UK could ‘choke on your sanctions’  which may seem an empty threat viewed from the safe distance of London but, for Belarus’ closest neighbours Lithuania, Poland and Latvia, the choking could become very real. 

When the European Union (EU) imposed sanctions, Lukashenka responded by flying in waves of migrants from the Middle East and delivering them to the border  to cross into the EU – a tactic last seen by Russia against Nordic states  in 2015.   This weaponization of migration is a form of hybrid warfare with the aim of destabilizing EU and NATO eastern borders and stirring up tensions within member states as well as between allies.

Click here to continue reading the full version of this Expert Comment on the Chatham House website.

 

Channel website: https://www.chathamhouse.org/

Original article link: https://www.chathamhouse.org/2021/08/belarus-new-weapon-putins-hybrid-warfare-arsenal

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