lukashenko’s Three Lies: minsk Propaganda Disguises Support for the War as Calls for Peace

belarusian state propaganda, despite its full solidarity with the kremlin in supporting the war against Ukraine, uses its own narratives that distinguish it from russian propaganda. This is the conclusion reached by the authors of the iSANS report “Red Lines of belarusian Propaganda”, which analyzes pro-government belarusian Telegram channels and media outlets.

Experts point out that russian propaganda is based on rhetoric calling for the destruction of Ukrainian statehood, denying Ukraine’s right to exist, and calling for the war to continue until victory. belarusian propaganda, on the other hand, is increasingly resorting to “peacemaking” rhetoric, promoting the idea of negotiations and presenting belarus as a possible venue for them. At this, it does not question russia’s actions and continues to disseminate the kremlin’s anti-Ukrainian narratives.

The report identifies three main points of divergence. russian propagandists describe the war as a struggle to the death and an existential confrontation with the West, while belarusian media speak of the need for negotiations. russian propaganda portrays Ukraine as “anti-russia,” whereas belarusian media refer to it as a “neighboring” or “brotherly” country that has allegedly fallen under Western influence. Finally, russian propaganda denies the existence of a distinct Ukrainian identity, while belarusian media continue to exploit the concept of the “three brotherly Slavic peoples”.

Researchers emphasize that lukashenko’s peace-promoting 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 points out that statements about peace are accompanied by continued military and political support for the kremlin.