Belarusian propaganda masks support for the Kremlin with "peacekeeping" rhetoric - intelligence
Kyiv • UNN
Belarusian propaganda uses "peacekeeping" rhetoric, different from the Russian one, but does not question the actions of the Russian Federation. Lukashenko calls on Ukraine to negotiate on Moscow's terms, demanding nothing from Russia.
Belarusian state propaganda, despite full solidarity with the Kremlin in supporting the war against Ukraine, uses its own narratives that distinguish it from Russian propaganda. This conclusion was reached by the authors of the iSANS report "Red Lines of Belarusian Propaganda," dedicated to the analysis of pro-government Belarusian Telegram channels and media. This was reported by the Foreign Intelligence Service, writes UNN.
Details
Experts note that Russian propaganda is built on the rhetoric of destroying Ukrainian statehood, denying Ukraine's right to exist, and calls to continue the war until victory. Belarusian propaganda, on the other hand, increasingly resorts to "peacemaking" rhetoric, promoting the idea of negotiations and presenting Belarus as a possible platform for them. At the same time, it does not question Russia's actions and continues to disseminate the Kremlin's anti-Ukrainian narratives.
The report highlights three key differences between Russian and Belarusian propaganda:
- Russian propaganda presents the war as an existential confrontation with the West, while Belarusian propaganda emphasizes the need for negotiations;
- Russian propagandists call Ukraine "anti-Russia," while Belarusian media call it a "neighboring" or "fraternal" country, which is supposedly under Western influence;
- Russian propaganda denies the existence of a separate Ukrainian identity, while Belarusian propaganda exploits the concept of "three fraternal Slavic peoples."
Researchers emphasize that Lukashenko's peacemaking rhetoric is one-sided. In their assessment, he regularly calls on Ukraine to agree to negotiations on Moscow's terms, without making any demands on Russia as the initiator of the war. The report also notes that statements about peace are accompanied by continued military and political support for the Kremlin.