By Brian Whitmore
When Belarusian Ambassador Ihar Sokol was leaving Ukraine last week after Minsk recalled all its diplomats from the country, a border guard gave him an unusual sendoff.
A video published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and recorded at the Mohyliv-Podilskyi border crossing shows a Ukrainian border guard presenting the outgoing ambassador with 30 pieces of silver, a clear reference to the biblical story of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. “We despise you,” the Ukrainian guard tells Sokol.
The incident was a stark reminder of the sharp and rapid deterioration of the once warm relations between Kyiv and Minsk. In the aftermath of Russia’s forceful annexation of Crimea and armed intervention in the Donbas in 2014, Belarus dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka initially bent over backwards not to take Moscow’s side. He hosted the Minsk peace talks, refused to recognize the Crimean annexation, ridiculed Vladimir Putin’s imperial designs on the so-called “Russian World,” and pledged that he would never allow Belarusian territory to be used to attack Ukraine.
The situation changed dramatically in August 2020 when Putin intervened to rescue Lukashenka when he looked to be on the verge of losing power following mass protests over a rigged election. Today, the Belarusian ruler is dependent upon Russia for his regime’s survival. Unsurprisingly, he now not only recognizes the annexation of Crimea but has turned his country into a platform for Russia to invade and bombard Ukraine.
As Russia suffers steep losses on the Ukrainian battlefield, Moscow is seeking fresh cannon fodder and Belarus is facing increased pressure to feed troops into Putin’s war machine. US and NATO officials say this could happen “soon,” according to a report by CNN. Hence the 30 pieces of silver.