EU Parliament Recognizes Lukashenko as an Accomplice in Putin’s Crimes

The European Parliament has recognized Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko as complicit in Russia's war against Ukraine, placing him on par with Vladimir Putin.

This decision was part of a resolution passed by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

MEPs also called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to issue an arrest warrant for Lukashenko as soon as possible.

The resolution condemns in the strongest terms "the involvement of the Lukashenko regime in Russia's unwarranted, illegal, and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine," including "the massive supply of Russian aggressor forces with weapons and military equipment by the regime, including the production of components for the Russian army, the deployment of Russian troops in Belarus, and their training by Belarusian instructors, as well as the invitation by the state of a terrorist organization, 'Wagner Group,' to join the aggression, combined with the deployment of troops near the Belarusian-Ukrainian border."

Furthermore, the resolution criticizes the use of Belarusian territory, airspace, and infrastructure as a springboard for launching invasions and missile strikes on military and civilian targets in Ukraine. According to MEPs, "the vast majority of Belarusians do not approve of such extensive involvement in Russia's aggressive war."

Finally, the European Parliament condemns the "unlawful transfer of over 2,150 children, including orphans, from Russia-occupied territories of Ukraine to so-called 'sanatoriums' in Belarus, where they are subjected to Russification and ideological indoctrination."

In the parliament's view, Lukashenko's actions may amount to a crime against humanity, such as deportation or forcible transfer of the population, under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

The parliament asserts that by enabling Russia's war against Ukraine, "the Lukashenko regime has become an accomplice to Russia's crimes, entailing responsibility for the destruction and damage inflicted on Ukraine." It also calls for expanding the jurisdiction of international tribunals to investigate not only the actions of Russia's political and military leadership but also that of the Belarusian leadership.

The European Parliament has urged EU countries to find legal means to seize the assets of the Belarusian leadership that could be used for Ukraine's recovery and to intensify sanctions against Minsk and Moscow.

As reported by The Gaze, in March the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of war crimes, including the unlawful deportation of hundreds of children from Ukraine. Russia has denied its military's involvement in war crimes or the forced deportation of Ukrainian children.