Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service warns Belarus of a purported coup attempt allegedly orchestrated by Western NGOs including those from Poland.
Russian Intelligence Warning
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service published a statement on Monday, February 9, warning that Western NGOs, including “democratization” organizations, agencies and foundations from the USA, UK, Germany, Poland and other European countries, are gathering resources to destabilize Belarus and introduce constitutional changes.
The Russian services claim these efforts aim to weaken ties between Minsk and Moscow and complicate the special military operation, which is propagandistically called the war in Ukraine.
Alleged Coup Plans
Russian intelligence has dubbed the supposed operation a “color revolution.” To implement it, the mentioned organizations are allegedly seeking “liberal enthusiasts” in Belarus, conducting an “inventory” of Belarusian opposition cadres to involve them, and creating a “disgruntled electorate.”
According to the plan suspected by Russian services, Alexander Lukashenko’s power would be overthrown before the 2030 elections. However, the statement expressed doubt about the success of such an attempt.
Skepticism and Historical Context
In recent years, exiled activists, led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (a candidate in Belarus’s 2020 presidential elections), who have settled in Lithuania and Poland, have demonstrated their complete inability to influence processes in their country, the statement claims.
Russian services also allege that the 2020 elections, which according to reports from the Center for Eastern Studies sparked protests, were also “provoked by hostile external forces.” They now claim that society is “immune” to such influence, stating that Belarusians have before their eyes examples of Ukraine, Moldova and other countries destroyed in the name of Western geopolitical ambitions under the guise of false slogans about protecting democracy and human rights.
