The Decrepit Elders Are No Longer Able To Divide The World
- Natallia Radzina
- 25.08.2025, 17:00
Independent Ukraine and democratic Belarus are the guarantors of security in Europe.
Yesterday Ukraine celebrated Independence Day. Today is the actual Independence Day of Belarus. On August 25, 1991, the declaration of independence of the Republic of Belarus was given the status of a constitutional law. Our countries became sovereign almost simultaneously: in 1991, the Soviet republics were in a hurry to get out of the "evil empire" as soon as possible and start living independently in free and democratic states. And today, 34 years later, when there is a war in Ukraine and a brutal dictatorship in Belarus, we continue to be bound by fate and history.
The root cause of both the war in Ukraine and the dictatorship in Belarus is the same - a sick imperial Russia, which is trying to keep our countries under control at any cost. Dictator Lukashenko was able to rule in Belarus for 31 years only thanks to repression and comprehensive Kremlin support. In Ukraine, however, it was not possible to establish a pro-Russian dictatorship, so it was attacked by a devastating war that has been going on for 11 years. The outcome of this war decides the fate of all of us: Ukrainians, Belarusians, Moldovans, Georgians, who dream of escaping the clutches of the Kremlin, as well as the whole of Europe, of which we are undoubtedly a part.
Ukraine today is the key to regional security. It is not only our, former Soviet republics', hope to finally find freedom and live happily in their own countries. It is the hope of Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians and Poles to get rid of the constantly looming threat of attack. Because even the EU and NATO umbrella does not give them a hundred percent guarantee of security today.
Yes, looking at Donald Trump's indecisiveness toward Russia, his unwillingness to take tough measures against war criminal Putin and help Ukraine, his compliments and flattery of dictator Lukashenko, many people fell into despair. There was a feeling of triumph of evil, futility of efforts and sacrifices and absence of any justice.
But I believe in Europe and its common sense and I am sure that the eccentric US president will not manage to make the whole world crazy. Of course, his daily verbal escapades, contradictory statements and scandalous antics turn everything upside down, no one knows what to expect from him. But even more so, it forces European states to rely on their own forces and make independent decisions.
Whatever Trump does, no matter how many meetings he has with Putin, no matter how many "good conversations" he has with him, and even if he starts lifting sanctions on the Russian or Belarusian regimes, it will not change the EU's attitude to the threats that these dictatorships pose today. Europe will not lift sanctions and will continue to support Kiev. Because it is quite obvious that Putin will try to continue to seize Ukraine and, as long as his puppet Lukashenko rules in Belarus, will continue to use the territory and military potential of our country for his own purposes.
There will be no new Munich or new Yalta. No decrepit elders, be it Putin, Trump or Si Jinping, standing with one foot in the grave, are no longer able to divide the world.
I believe that the leadership of Ukraine and its people have enough fortitude and courage to withstand and not capitulate. And the task of Europe, the task of all of us, is to do everything possible to help this amazingly brave and invincible nation.
Because an independent Ukraine is both a free Belarus and a safe and prosperous Europe.
Natallia Radzina, editor-in-chief of Charter97.org.