Anxiety over Lukashenko’s intimidating messages: Hundreds of people are in danger in Lithuania

Asked in the program “Basically” if Lithuania would be ready and possibly preparing for possible attacks, the Minister of National Defense Arvydas Anušauskas says that there really are a large number of opposition representatives in Lithuania.

“If you ask technical details, I will not answer. The leadership of the Security Service, as usual, is dedicated to the protection of opposition figures like Cichanouskaya. In fact, that protection is necessary because they have quite unequivocal intentions, ranging from prosecutions criminal up to threats of physical retaliation. The number of opposition representatives in Lithuania is really quite large, otherwise there are hundreds of people who have already applied for asylum, maybe not all are active participants, but mostly they applied for asylum because they were threatened by the Lukashenko regime … They were arrested, tortured, etc.

People are all different, but when it comes to giving guarantees, as is widely discussed now, it is not such a simple matter. Lithuania should do everything possible to ensure that the intelligence services of other hostile states are not free to operate in Lithuania as they please. That action must be neutralized, and I am referring to the Belarusian KGB, which has been hostile to Lithuania; we may know little about what he did, but yes, he did it, ”says the minister.

We are not only dealing with Minsk

Petras Auštrevičius, Member of the European Parliament (EP), says on the “Basically” program that Cichanouskaya’s idea of ​​increased pressure or risks for the opposition is justified.

“Let us be completely open and recognize that the border between Belarus and Lithuania is now approaching the border of the Cold War or the image that often appears in people’s minds very quickly, remembering the eighties and nineties, when intelligence operations relatively active or agents were operating because one was suppressed. ” on one side and the other on the other. In this case, apparently, it must be recognized that interest in Lithuania has increased significantly, and we are not only dealing with Minsk.

First of all, we are dealing with a long hand in Moscow that still has its own channels to change the situation, so Cichanouskaya’s thoughts on increased pressure or risks for the opposition, especially those whose political positions shape policies of the Belarusian democratic society in general. , are justified. I agree that there is no reason to panic and not everything is visible on the surface, the work that is being done to a large extent has that preventive effect ”, considers the politician.

When asked how the opposition could be helped, if in this case we were talking about greater protection for them, the interlocutor assured that a calm and concentrated work is necessary.

“Of course, we obviously need to reduce the risk by all means, that is, I mean those people who, directly or through influential agents, can pose a threat: a threat to health and safety; there are several accidents, sometimes not necessarily just orderly murders, and traffic accidents. I think that the Lithuanian security and other institutions that operate legally and perform their functions should pay more attention; I do not even doubt that the situation in Vilnius has been understood correctly, because it would be a big mistake to calm down : We would risk the lives of those people too much, but apparently there is no need to panic. I believe that concentrated and calm work is the best answer to all the possible provocations that may arise in one form or another. I would like to say one more time that many of these initiatives do not come from Minsk, but are well coordinated in Moscow, ”says P. Auštrevičius.

According to him, the gathering of information is now the most active stage in trying to determine what measures could be taken against one or another opposition.

“I think gathering information is probably the most active stage at the moment in trying to determine what measures could be taken against one or another opposition, but because there are so many, our relevant authorities need to take some physical safeguards: we also take some responsibility, so the budget will have to feel the burden of doing this, ”he said.

Strongly recommend not to go to Belarus

A. Anušauskas also emphasized in the program that the Belarusian regime is currently very dangerous for almost everyone, so the Minister only reiterated that visiting this country would be very dangerous now.

“Of course, because this regime has communicated the message very clearly, and we have that message, so we must take it into account. If it is said very clearly that it does not guarantee the safety of foreigners, does not guarantee that they will not be attacked, that no criminal will act, robbery or anything else against them, then how do we react? I think we have responded appropriately and warned citizens: do not go, because the risks will outweigh the benefits of visiting a castle or something else. I urge everyone to respond to such a warning, to refrain from traveling to a country governed by this regime. “

Direct line

When asked what other areas should be strengthened, P. Auštrevičius assured that current events in Lithuania can also be exploited by organized crime.

“Arvydas Anušauskas is absolutely right, because the economic security of the Lithuanian-Kaliningrad border is a matter of primary importance. On the one hand, we have made the right decisions when strengthening the army, defense capabilities, but I think we need to rethink where this direct line is “traveling”. Then our gaze will automatically drift towards the Lithuanian-Belarusian border, and it will remind me that it is more than six hundred kilometers, very often it continues in uncomfortable terrain, forests, swamps, there are other barriers, but That doesn’t stop those who do it.

It must be said that the financial interest, which can be very diverse, amounts to enormous sums of money: tens of millions of euros, imagine the scope of unaccounted for economic flows in Lithuania, and where that money is deposited, nobody can say. . I think that seeing the tensions that are now in Minsk, and basically those tensions fueled by Moscow, so much distrust, so much hostility towards the West, organized crime can be put to good use, which is involved in all these processes, because it is certainly not a organized activity. “

Fear of a possible union between Russia and Belarus

When asked what would happen if Belarus and Russia merged, P. Auštrevičius assured that this would not really help Lithuania to strengthen its security.

“In that case, the geopolitical and geostrategic situation would fundamentally change. The creation of a common state, on which the foundations are constantly being laid, even the last meeting between Putin and Lukashenko over the weekend in Sochi, where the issue of financial support was apparently discussed, probably also aimed to address this issue. . Not surprisingly, the interview given by the Foreign Minister of Belarus, Mackey, deals almost exclusively with the creation of that state, I don’t know what to call it. As you said, basically only two solutions are missing: customs and energy, energy prices, which is also the essence of economic agreements.

The final attempt to reach an agreement is already planned for the fall: the top officials of that new emerging empire will meet. We can see the emergence of more than one Russian military unit practically in southern Lithuania, but on our southern borders there may be completely different defense capabilities with their own strategy, which, unfortunately, will not help Lithuania to strengthen its security. . “