The self-proclaimed president of Belarus, Oleksandr Lukashenko, plays himself when he declares the need for CSTO members to decide on their position regarding Russia's war against Ukraine.

Military expert Oleg Zhdanov expressed this opinion in an interview with TSN.ua.

He believes that despite such calls, Lukashenko himself is trying to distance himself from the war. 

"As for Lukashenka,

today. When I heard this statement that "it is necessary to decide which side you are on, and no one will avoid participation", then I immediately remembered the call of Comrade Byvaly : "To the furnaces, comrades.

Let's help our stokers!" Lukashenko says the same thing.

," said a military expert.

He noted that this appeal of the self-proclaimed president of Belarus may work more for the disintegration of the CSTO than for unity.

"I will remind you that Armenia, as much as it begs Russia to give troops, is out of time. Tajikistan is the same, begging "give troops, cover the border". Kyrgyzstan - too, they have their own conflict with Tajikistan. Everyone begged "give troops

. And now Lukashenko, as the secretary of this organization, says: "Now you all give troops to the Russian Federation." And out of what fear should they give their troops, if they asked for military assistance from the Russian Federation and it refused them?"

- Zhdanov explained the situation in the CSTO.

"So, if he (Lukashenko - ed.) sets such strict conditions that "no one will escape and it will be necessary to decide", then I think that the answer can be the definition of such a plan that "we are leaving.

We have decided:

," the expert added.

He noted that Armenia is already on the verge of making a decision on its withdrawal from the CSTO.

According to the expert, the Prime Minister of the country, Nikol Pashinyan, is actually blackmailing the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin: "that if he does not provide weapons, or does not start putting pressure on Azerbaijan and Turkey to resolve the Karabakh issue in favor of Armenia, then Armenia cannot announce today or tomorrow about exit".

"So

Well, I think he is playing on himself. He is thus trying to show through Hungary and through such statements that, on the one hand, the statement can cause collapse of the CSTO, and on the other hand, he can negotiate with the West through Hungary about guarantees of his own security regarding the non-interference of Belarus in this war on the side of Russia," Zhdanov suggested.

It will be recalled that on February 13, Lukashenko said that the CSTO countries should decide on their position regarding Russia's war against Ukraine, and that "it will not be possible to sit back."

Note that the CSTO is a military-political international organization, a kind of analog of NATO.

It includes Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. 

Let's note that on the same day, the head of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry, Peter Szijjártó, arrived in Minsk for peace talks.

He emphasized the need for joint actions of the international community for the sake of the fastest possible peace in Ukraine, so that there is no escalation of the war.

Read also:

• Putin may meet with Lukashenka this week

• Why are foreigners urged to immediately leave the Russian Federation and Belarus: the expert's answer

• "There was a mini-coup in Putin's bunker": Piontkovsky on a serious conflict in the Kremlin

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