Civic Nations Being Born ‘from Belarus to Khabarovsk’ and West Must Decide Whose Side It is On, Kubilius Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, August 9 – At the polls in Belarus as in the streets of Khabarovsk, civic nations are being born across the former Soviet space, stripping “aging autocrats” of their legitimacy and forcing Western countries to make clear whether they stand with the people or with the powers, Andrius Kubilius says.

            Lukashenka, Putin and other dictatorial rulers are being challenged by people who want the rights these leaders have taken from them, the former Lithuanian prime minister says; and “leaders of Western democracies, especially the EU, will have to answer one question” (facebook.com/205903796109678/posts/3650921801607843/).

            “Do they stand with illegitimate authoritarians or with the legitimate civic nations of Belarusians and   Russians?” The future of those two countries and others as well “in the whole long-suffering post-Soviet area” depends on how they reply as does their standing as supporters of democracy and freedom around the world.

            “I hope our reply will be unwavering as unjust acts cannot create law and stolen elections cannot make a president legitimate. The slogan “for your freedom and ours” means that for the peoples and governments of the Belarusian and Russian nations is every bit “as important as our own.”

            Unfortunately, many in the West are focusing on their own problems rather than those of others and the siren strong of stabil’nost’ uber alles remains strong; but stability maintained by force alone, stability without legitimacy, will ultimately lead to far worse outcomes than policies intended to force dictators to yield to their peoples.

            Kubilius’ argument is especially compelling for two reasons. On the one hand, he is pointing to the growth of civic nations rather than the revival of ethnic ones alone. Indeed, if the civic nations are not supported, there is a great danger that only ethno-nationalism with all of its problems will become dominant and may even be hijacked by the dictators.

            And on the other, the Lithuanian leader is suggesting that what is happening in Belarus today is of a piece with what has been happening in the streets of Khabarovsk for the last four weeks, two movements which are seeking to recapture the dreams of democracy of a generation ago and that should have the right to expect support from democrats around the world.

            If the people of Belarus and the people of Russia get such support, there is a chance that civic nations will win out benefiting those two countries and the world. If they don’t or if support is limited to expressions of concern as now, the future for both and for the West as well will be bleak indeed.