This man — the one who appears to be suffering from a severe case of acid reflux — is Aleksandr Lukashenko, self-proclaimed president (the last election was strongly disputed) of Belarus, which has become pretty much a vassal state of Russia.

Did I say “pretty much”? Let’s tell it like it is: Vladimir Putin owns Aleksandr Lukashenko, who in turn rules Belarus with an iron fist. So it comes as no surprise to hear him parroting the words of Putin and his Moscow minions as he accuses NATO of planning an attack on Belarus and threatens the use of nuclear weapons:

“An attack on Belarus means World War III,” he told students at the State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics in Minsk. [DPA International, September 27, 2024.]

He continued: “Americans and Poles have already positioned themselves along the border, particularly at the Polish one. We know that the Polish leadership is already rubbing their hands.” [Id.]

Right . . . Poland just can’t wait to get started on WW3, because the last one was so much fun.

In Lukashenko’s fantasy world, he envisions Belarus as being well prepared for an immediate response. Then NATO would counter with its own nuclear strikes, and Russia would deploy its entire arsenal — a doomsday scenario for which, he said, the West is not ready. [Id.]

Not incidentally, the nuclear weapons in Belarus are not theirs, but Russia’s, and allegedly under Russia’s control. But such details do not seem to bother Lukashenko.

He really needs to learn to think before he speaks.

*. *. *

Next we have another favorite old curmudgeon, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban — or, rather, his political director, Balazs Orban (no relation).

Balazs (we’ll use his first name to avoid confusion) said in an interview with the Mandiner website this week that it was Ukrainian President Zelensky’s “irresponsibility” in having resisted Russia’s invasion in February of 2022 that caused the war to continue into its third year and brought about so many thousands of deaths. [Krisztina Than, Anita Komuves and Gergely Szakacs, Reuters, September 27, 2024.]

In Balazs’ own words:

“Considering 1956 [the anti-Soviet uprising in Hungary], we would have probably not done what President Zelenskiy did 2.5 years ago, as it is irresponsible, as we can see that he led his country into a defensive war, many lives were lost and territories lost.

”Let me say again, it is their right and sovereign decision . . . but had they asked us, we would have not recommended this, based on what happened in 1956.” [Id.]

Oh, so that’s where President Zelensky made his mistake: he forgot to ask Viktor Orban for advice. Now I get it.

But in Balazs Orban’s favor, he did at least acknowledge that, for Ukraine, this has been a “defensive” war . . . making Russia officially the “offensive” party.

Well, tell us something we didn’t know.

But wait . . . Balazs may have slipped, and slipped badly. Because Prime Minister Viktor Orban, speaking on national radio on Friday, said it was important to speak “very carefully and clearly” on such sensitive matters:

“Now my political director made an ambiguous statement which is a mistake, as our community stands on the basis of the 1956 revolution, has grown from it.” He added that, as in the past, Hungary will “always defend itself.”

Oh-oh. Now we have Balazs Orban backtracking in a video on his Facebook page, in which he said his words were “deliberately misinterpreted,” and that “the heroes of 1956 are national heroes and their memory is sacred.” [Id.]

And now enter Peter Magyar, Hungary’s leading opposition figure, who could not resist the opportunity to post on Facebook that Balazs Orban “has no place in public life after his scandalous and traitorous comments . . . [and that he] had humiliated the memory of thousands of Hungarian freedom fighters.”

*. *. *

Well, this is turning into one big pot of political Hungarian goulash, with everyone tossing in their own ingredients. If they defend the heroes of the 1956 revolt against the USSR invasion, are they not insulting those Russian forebears of today’s Kremlin regime? Shouldn’t the people of Hungary have succumbed willingly to Soviet rule in 1956, as they now say Ukraine should have done in 2022?

But can we now turn our backs on those who have rightfully been our heroes for 68 years?

Has Orban (Balazs) placed Orban (Viktor) in an untenable position vis-a-vis his relationship with Putin (Vladimir)? By stating that Hungary will “always defend itself,” is he not potentially pitting himself against Russia’s head honcho?

From here, on the outside looking in, this is starting to feel like a free-for-all just waiting to happen. I’m looking forward to the second act.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
9/29/24