Belarus' Lukashenko stokes fears of 'third world war' amid escalating global tensions
A lot of news disseminated by Russian and Belarusian media and government personnel are likely unreliable. These reports could be part of an information war led by Russia and Belarus.
Lukashenko made his statement during a meeting with senior national security agency officials in Minsk on Tuesday, 20 February.
He also commented on the tense global situation. In Europe, a major conflict, the largest since World War II, is ongoing following Russia's assault on Ukraine approximately two years ago. Recent events, including Donald Trump's remarks about NATO member states and the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, have only escalated tensions.
"No country or nation has felt completely secure in recent years. Military force is once again becoming the primary method for global centres to solve problems as if everyone has forgotten about the millions of victims and the horrors of the first and Second world wars," said the leader who has backed Putin's regime since the onset of Russia's attack on Ukraine.
"We are literally being swamped with information about the supposed premonition of an impending third world war. There are reasons for concern," Lukashenko added, as quoted by the propaganda-heavy Belarusian Telegraph Agency.
Lukashenko's remarks came just days ahead of Belarus' parliamentary elections, set for 25 February. The previous day marks two years since Russia's assault on Ukraine.
Anxiety in Europe over Donald Trump's comments
The aforementioned former US president Donald Trump suggested this month that he would "encourage" Russia to do "whatever it wants" with countries that "don't pay", meaning those that spend less than 2% of GDP on defence. "I wouldn't defend such a country," he said.
Trump's remark has triggered worry in Europe, especially as he's set to compete in the US presidential election this November and could potentially return to the presidency. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated, "any suggestion that we won't defend each other, that we won't protect ourselves, undermines our collective security and increases risk".
In an interview with Reuters, Stoltenberg also proclaimed that the "European Union is not equipped to defend Europe by itself".
Continued war in Ukraine. Russia's losses
Despite worries, the shadow of a global conflict appears remote at present. The Russian military remains engaged in the war in Ukraine, where they've sustained massive losses.
Based on declassified US intelligence information from December 2023, 315,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or injured in the conflict. This is approximately 87 per cent of all Russian military personnel related to the conflict, as stated by Reuters in December.
At the same time, the Russian military has seen recent successes at the front. The invaders seized Avdiivka, a city that Ukraine had protected for almost 10 years. Ukrainian soldiers withdrew from the city on Saturday, 17 February.
