Should Belarusians prepare for civil war?

Valery Sakhashchyk, who was recently appointed by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya to represent the Transition Cabinet on defense and national security, assured that he "will do everything" to prevent a civil war in Belarus.

"I consider any civil conflict in any country of the world as a tragedy, especially in my homeland. I will do my best to prevent it from happening".

At the conference in Vilnius, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya demanded that the head of NAM, Pavel Latushka and the assistant commander of the "Pahonia" regiment, Uladzimir Prakopyeu create a "government in exile" and form a power unit under it. As a result, the day after this demand was voiced, Tsikhanouskaya announced the creation of the Transition Cabinet. Sakhashchyk became one of the new faces in it.

The "power bloc" is a new round in the development of democratic forces and a radical change in the nature of Belarusian protests. The democratic forces participating in the electoral campaign in 2020 initially highlighted their commitment to peaceful change.

Nevertheless, Sahashchyk calls himself a "peacemaker" and promises to make "the Belarusians stop seeing each other as enemies. But if Sakhashchyk is going to act as a peacemaker, then why the "power bloc"?

"Yes, that side, if it does not see the force in front of it, ignores us and does not want to communicate with us. So we have to get that power. When we have it, I hope everything will change. And yet a dialogue will arise. And maybe it will happen before".

Speaking for the first time as a cabinet representative on defense and national security, Sahashchyk declined to answer questions from reporters in the coming weeks. Euroradio editor Zmitser Lukashuk still managed to talk to Sakhashchyk for a few minutes in the lobby.

"I have no right to make a mistake, and these mistakes will be too expensive. We will work out the rules of international law and determine what we can and cannot do. And only when we are sure that our steps are right will we start practical actions".

Sakhashchyk also said that he is in touch with Zianon Pazniak.

"He is absolutely constructive. I am authorized by Sviatlana Ryhorauna to suggest that he add his people to the cabinet".