Belarusians' attitude toward Russia's war against Ukraine largely unchanged – ambassador

Ihor Kyzym, Ambassador-at-Large for Belarus at the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and former Ambassador to Belarus (2017–2023), said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

Commenting on the lack of reliable sociological data due to Belarus's closed nature, the diplomat noted that some surveys on Belarusians' views on the war are still being conducted.

"One such study, published by Chatham House a week before the so-called presidential elections in Belarus, showed that over three years, Belarusians' opinions on this issue have remained nearly unchanged," Kyzym said.

According to the survey, 40% of respondents do not support Russia in its war against Ukraine, 32% fully or partially support it, while 28% -- almost a third -- chose the "difficult to answer" option.

The diplomat also said that since the war began, the most active and pro-Ukrainian Belarusians have been forced to leave the country.

"I believe that if we were to survey them specifically, 90% would condemn Russian aggression," Kyzym said.

He also pointed out the high level of repression in Belarus against those who support Ukraine in any way.

"But no one is asking Belarusians whether they want to fight against Ukraine. I think that 70-80% would unequivocally answer 'no.' And in this context, we argue that the Belarusian people are one of the key deterrents preventing Belarusian armed forces from joining the war against Ukraine," Kyzym said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated earlier that European countries should prepare for the possibility that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will deploy his troops in Belarus and use them to threaten Poland or the Baltic states.