Belarus Research Network on Neighborhood Policy, in cooperation with The Danish Society for Military Science, is pleased to invite you to a seminar on the role of Belarus in Russia’s war in Ukraine.

As Belarus has allowed Russian missile launchers to be stationed on its territory and shoot at Ukrainian targets, 9K720 Iskander missile launch systems have been transferred to Belarus, and Belarusian units are being trained in the application of these systems.

In August 2024, amidst Ukraine’s offensive into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, Belarus announced the transfer of an Iskander missile, Polonez MLRS, and special forces to areas bordering Ukraine. This announcement followed statements by Alexander Lukashenko about Ukrainian attack drones intercepted in Belarusian airspace.

On August 18, Alexander Lukashenko announced that Belarus had deployed approximately one third of its army to its Ukrainian border areas. At the same time, Lukashenko pleaded with Russian President Vladimir Putin to initiate negotiations to end the war with Ukraine.

There is a general information gap regarding the military potential of Belarus and the consequences of the war in Ukraine for Belarus’ future. Therefore, this seminar will focus on the role of Belarus in Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Programme

15:30: Welcome
David Vestenskov, The Danish Society for Military Science and Beate Livdanska Latvian Institute for International Affairs

15:40: On the Military and Political Role of Belarus for Russia in its War in Ukraine
Arkady Moshes, Programme Director for the Russia, EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood and Eurasia research programme at the Finnish Institute for International Affairs (FIIA)

16:00: On the Military Threat From Belarus From the Perspective of Ukraine and its Allies
Claus Matthiessen is senior lecturer at the Department of Language and Culture at the Defense Academy

16:15: On Russia’s War in Ukraine Seen From the Perspective of the Belarus Regime and the Belarus Population
Artyom Shraibman, nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center

16:30: The response of the West/EU to Belarus war in Ukraine
Ph.d Victoria Leukavets, Reseacher at the Stockholm Centre for Eastern Europeans Studies (SCEEUS) and Utenrigspolitiske Institutet in Sweden, Stockholm

16:45-17.30: Q&A with the panelists

The event will be moderated by Charlotte Flindt Pedersen, Director of the Danish Foreign Policy Society.

Please register for the event before October 17. Remember to bring a valid photo ID  for entry into The Royal Danish Defence Academy. This is due to security reasons.

Belarus Research Network on Neighborhood Policy is a collaboration of five partners from Latvia (the Latvian Institute of International Affairs), Denmark (the Danish Foreign Policy Society, the Danish Cultural Institute in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and Beladania Culture Society), and Lithuania (the Center for Belarus and Regional Studies at the European Humanities University). Since June 2022, with the support of the Nordic Council of Ministers, the Network has been working to raise the concerns related to Belarus on the regional agenda. You can learn more about the network here: www.belarusnetwork.org.

We would like to thank Nordic Council of Ministers for their generous support for this conference.