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Movement for Freedom attacks Belarusian government for inviting Russian troops to Independence Day parade in Minsk

The Movement for Freedom is vehemently opposed to the participation of Russia’s troops in the July 3 Independence Day military parade in Minsk, the organization says in a statement issued on Monday.

By its actions, the government is turning Belarus into a puppet state and a platform for Russia to flex its military muscle, the statement says.

The invitation of the Russian troops to the Independence Day parade in Minsk runs counter to Belarus’ neutral status and poses a threat to the stability and wellbeing of the Belarusian people as well as threatens regional security, the Movement says.

Russian flags and St. George’s Ribbon decorating Minsk are associated in Europe and throughout the world with Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the statement says. A Russian parade column today may mean direct occupation tomorrow and the involvement of the Belarusians in a war against the brotherly Ukrainian nation, the statement says.

The Movement warns against forgetting the lessons of World War II and “playing dangerous games with an aggressor.”

The Movement says that if Belarus invites foreign troops to participate in its military parades, it should send invitations to all neighboring countries, namely, Ukraine, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia, and also to the member countries of the anti-Hitler coalition.

For the first time ever, the aircraft of Russia’s Air Force, namely, Ka-52 attack helicopters and Su-34 bombers, will participate in the Independence Day parade in Minsk.

The parade will also feature a parade unit of Russia’s Pskov-based 76th Air Assault Division and Russia’s Iskander and S-400 missile systems and GAZ Tigr, a multipurpose, all-terrain infantry mobility vehicle. //BelaPAN