Sergei Rachkov: The crisis potential in the development of the military and political situation in the Eastern European region will increase

“I believe this event which we are holding at a critical time is very important and I hope it will be productive and will help us coordinate our joint work,” said Sergei Rachkov, Chairman of the Standing Commission on International Affairs and National Security of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, in his speech at the first meeting of the chairpersons of the foreign affairs committees (commissions) of the parliaments of the CSTO Member States.
According to him, military and political situation in the Eastern European region continues to develop in the context of the growing crisis, including with regard to the Republic of Belarus. “Negative trends take real shape and become practical confirmation of the course of the collective West, led by the United States, towards the formation of a zone of instability and tension.”
Sergei Rachkov stressed, “Currently the event targeted by information attacks is the referendum on the amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus scheduled for February 27. As the analysis shows, at present the information pressure is organized and put by internal and external destructive forces in four main areas: sociocultural, political, economic and military. The primary goals in the sociocultural are to split the citizens of Belarus into “us” and “them” and to create an atmosphere of mutual hostility and distrust in the society, as well as to create a stable group of people with a negative attitude towards the incumbent authorities of Belarus for its further exploitation in the interests of renewal of the protest movement.”
According to the Chairman of the Standing Commission on International Affairs and National Security of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, there are two main lines of action in the political sphere: domestic and foreign policy. In the former, the focus is on inoculation alternative norms and principles of statehood in the public mind. As far as foreign policy is concerned, the main thrust of the destructive forces is directed at separating the Republic of Belarus from the Russian Federation, at destroying the practical policy of strengthening the Union State.
Sergei Rachkov pointed out that there were also two main areas in the economic area: internal and external. In the context of the former, the parliamentarian stresses, “the emphasis is placed on the targeted denigration of the existing model of the Belarusian economic and financial systems, and the instigation of panic in society in connection with the alleged calamities or crises in various areas.”
At the same time, on the external front, there is a mass justification of the need to introduce new trade, economic and financial restrictions against the Republic of Belarus.
“In the military sphere, the main focus is on creating an illusion among the Belarusian population that there are no risks and challenges to the state military security. At the same time, large-scale optimization of military activities and build-up of military presence of NATO member states near Belarusian borders are presented as non-existent military threats to the Republic of Belarus. At the same time there is an intense discrediting of the operational and combat training of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, especially that conducted jointly with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, which was demonstrated during the joint exercise Zapad 2021 and the ongoing exercise Union Resolve 2022,” said the Chairman of the Standing Committee on International Affairs and National Security of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus.
Sergei Rachkov did not rule out that the build-up of the strike and offensive potential of the coalition and national military formations and the increase of the military presence of NATO and its allies on the western borders of the CSTO area of responsibility would continue.