MINSK, 18 October (BelTA) – In a new episode of the V Teme [On Point] project on BelTA's YouTube channel Kirill Koktysh, political scientist, associate professor of the Department of Political Theory of MGIMO University at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, gave his take on why the West is trying to drag Belarus into the conflict in Ukraine.
The political scientist is convinced that the West will keep provoking Belarus. “In this regard, you just need to look at the map. And it is not even about the Ukrainian leadership, but about the Western one. They measure other people's corn by their own bushel. In other words, the Belarusian territory can be used as a platform to cut off Lvov and reach Kyiv. It is much closer and much more convenient to do it from Belarus than through Donbass. If they made up their mind to take the risk, they would do it without hesitation. Therefore, each person has their own considerations regarding this situation and it is hard to assume that someone can proceed from other motives,” he said.
Belarus is entitled to take any action on its territory to ensure its security, Kirill Koktysh noted. “There is no doubt about this,” he stressed. “And questions from external players sound rather strange. What business is it of yours? Moreover, these are quite understandable security considerations. On the other hand, they remember the story of Prince Gorchakov nurturing Bismarck. Every time Bismarck launched a war against Austria, the Russian Empire began maneuvers on the Austrian border. Austria demanded from Russia assurances that this was not directed against it. Austria was forced to keep troops on the border and lost to Bismarck regularly.”
