Lukashenko warns of 'third world war' amidst rising global tensions and misinformation

Many reports circulated by Russian and Belarusian media and government officials may be considerably distorted. Such misinformation could be components of an information war instigated by the Russian Federation and Belarus.

Lukashenko spoke on Tuesday, February 20, at a conference with senior members of the national security agency in Minsk.

At one point, he highlighted the intense global conditions. In Europe, following Russia's attack on Ukraine almost two years ago, the largest conflict since World War II persists. Recent events, like Donald Trump's remarks about NATO member states and the demise of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, have further escalated these tensions.

"No nation has felt completely safe in recent decades." Military power has re-emerged as the principal tool for global centers resolving issues. "It's as if the millions of victims and the horrors of the first and second world wars were forgotten," lamented the dictator, a supporter of Vladimir Putin's regime since Russia initiated its assault on Ukraine.

"We are currently overwhelmed by a surge of information," warning about the potential onset of a third world war. "There are valid reasons for worry," Lukashenko stressed, cited by the propaganda-driven Belarusian Telegraph Agency.

Lukashenko's remark was made just a few days before Belarus's parliamentary elections, slated to occur on February 25. The day before marks the second anniversary of Russia's incursion into Ukraine.

The former US president, Donald Trump, declared earlier this month that he would "encourage" Russia to do "whatever it wants" with those countries that "do not pay," meaning those who allocate less than 2% of GDP to defense. "I wouldn't defend such a country," he said.

Trump's declaration and his potential to return to the American presidency following the November elections have created unease in Europe. Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO Secretary-General, stated, "Any conjecture that we will not defend each other, that we will not protect ourselves, compromises our collective security and augments risk."

Stoltenberg also told Reuters during an interview that "the European Union is not capable of defending Europe independently."

Despite apprehensions, the threat of a global conflict appears distant for now. The Russian military continues its involvement in the war in Ukraine, where it has incurred significant losses.

US intelligence data, declassified in December 2023, reports that 315,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in the conflict. As Reuters reported in December, this tally constitutes approximately 87 percent of all the Russian military personnel engaged in the conflict.

However, the Russian military has made recent advancements on the front. Invaders captured Avdiivka, a city that Ukraine had defended for almost ten years. Ukrainian troops evacuated the city on Saturday, February 17.