Volozhin Region
Executive Committee

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has ordered a snap combat readiness check of the Armed Forces, BelTA has learned.The 19th Separate Guards Mechanized Brigade is being inspected as part of the large-scale combat readiness inspection of the Armed Forces of Belarus.The primary objective of the inspection is to obtain an objective picture and assess the actual state of the troops, evaluate the actions of military personnel. This is precisely why an inspection is conducted on a surprise basis. A key feature of the inspection is its organization: the head of state personally places military units on combat alert, bypassing the Defense Ministry and the General Staff.

The system operates as follows: The president signs a classified directive outlining the plan for the upcoming inspection. The state secretary of the Security Council receives the sealed package containing the document and then, accompanied by staff from the State Secretariat, travels to a military unit designated by the head of state.

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U.S. President Donald Trump can be compared to a steamroller given the policies he pursues, Igor Shishkin, an expert of the Institute of CIS Countries, said in a recent episode of the V Teme [On Point] project on BelTA’s YouTube channel.

The expert explained the policy pursued by Donald Trump using the situation surrounding Greenland as an example. He noted that the development of events in this case is difficult to predict. Nevertheless, he believes there is a high probability that the island will come under U.S. control, considering the current policy of the White House leader.

“In my opinion, with a probability of more than 75%, Trump will ‘pry’ Greenland away. It must be noted that Trump is an extremely consistent politician. Because of his own PR stunts, he is commonly perceived as somewhat erratic. There’s even an expression: Seven Trumps in a week,” Igor Shishkin said.

Nevertheless, the expert emphasized, Donald Trump is an extremely consistent politician: “He works like a steamroller - slowly, steadily, and in one direction.”

To support his words, Igor Shishkin pointed out that Donald Trump had stated his desire to take Greenland from Denmark during his first term. “People laughed about it back then,” he added.

The expert recalled that, in exactly the same way, no one initially took the U.S. president’s threats against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro seriously. “By the way, in his first term, he again tried to bring Venezuela’s wealth under his control. Whatever he says, he certainly tries to turn it into reality. Of course, he’s not omnipotent, and he doesn’t always succeed. During his first term, he didn’t succeed in anything at all. Will he succeed with Greenland? The odds are much greater that he will,” he stated with confidence.

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Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko appointed Vladislav Tatarinovich Belarusian Finance Minister, BelTA has learned.

Until now, Vladislav Tatarinovich has served as Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus.

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Fear is one of the factors in global politics, former Prime Minister of Ukraine (2010-2014) Nikolai Azarov said in the latest episode of the V Teme [On Point] project on BelTA's YouTube channel.

“Fear is a factor in global politics. And there is absolutely no need to be ashamed of that. For 30 years they have been talking about the deterrence factor... Whom are we deterring? We can only deter when [opponents] are genuinely afraid and apprehensive. In other words, a deterrent factor based on intimidation must largely be at work,” Nikolai Azarov said.

To support his words, he cited the example of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: “The DPRK clearly understands this. And everyone understands that Kim Jong-un should not be touched because he will respond to the fullest extent.”

Thus, the former Ukrainian prime minister believes that in the current difficult international situation, security guarantees can only be ensured through strength. This stems, in part, from the fact that international law is largely ineffective and any concluded agreements are readily broken. “Peace is paramount. However, it must be founded upon the strongest possible guarantees,” Nikolai Azarov said.

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Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko extended greetings to the personnel and veterans of the Engineering Troops of the Armed Forces as they celebrate their professional holiday, Engineering Troops Day, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian head of state.

“It is noteworthy that this year we mark the 325th anniversary of their formation, emphasizing the traditions and continuity with the heroic history of our ancestors,” the Belarusian leader noted. “This history contains many glorious pages, including examples of unparalleled resilience and courage of Soviet soldiers on the battlefields of the Great Patriotic War, the post-war reconstruction of the country, and the truly titanic work of the Engineering Troops’ soldiers and officers during the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out that the Engineering Troops of Belarus, now equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and equipment, make a significant contribution to ensuring the military security of the state. They fulfill critical tasks related to the safe operation of military and civilian infrastructure, the elimination of consequences from various emergencies, and the disposal of explosive ordnance.

“I wish you, your families, and loved ones robust health, happiness, prosperity, and new successes in the constructive military labor of strengthening the defense capability of the Republic of Belarus,” the message of greetings reads.

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The Belarusian government is working on modernizing the child care allowance system, Deputy Prime Minister Natalya Petkevich said during a joint sitting of the two houses of the Belarusian parliament in Minsk on 21 January, BelTA has learned.

"The Belarusian government is working on modernizing the child care allowance system to reduce the risks of a deterioration in the financial situation of women compared to what they had before the birth of a child,” Natalya Petkevich said.

According to her, attention is being paid to the critical task of creating comfortable conditions for parents to care for their children. This involves establishing nurseries for young children so that regardless of where they live, mothers can return to work sooner. The Education Ministry is currently working on developing the network of nursery institutions.

Furthermore, the deputy prime minister spoke in favor of  robust information strategy to foster proper family values.

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Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has received personal address from U.S. President Donald Trump, proposing that Belarus become a founding member of a new international body, the Board of Peace, as part of efforts to resolve the situation in Gaza. According to the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the proposal has been presented to and welcomed by the head of state.

“Our position is clear: we are prepared to participate in the work of the Board of Peace, with the consideration and hope that this organization will expand its scope and authority far beyond the mandate outlined in the initiative. This will enable it to take an active part in global processes aimed at resolving any international conflicts, which will ultimately contribute to building a new security architecture – a goal Belarus has been actively promoting in recent years,” the statement by the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted.

In other words, Belarus hopes the board’s future scope will extend far beyond Gaza or even the Middle East. The organization, explicitly framed as such in the U.S. leader’s letter, is expected to expand its framework and authority, with the Gaza settlement serving merely as the starting point for a grander global peace initiative.

It is also important that the United States sees Belarus, and this is directly stated in the text of the address, as a state ready to take on the responsibility for building a lasting peace and to lead by example, investing in a safe and prosperous future for generations to come.

Another detail is also interesting. Earlier in September, U.S. Special Envoy for Belarus John Coale delivered a letter from Donald Trump to Aleksandr Lukashenko, which included warm greetings and wishes. John Coale then particularly noted the fact that the U.S. president had signed off simply as “Donald.” “He very rarely signs with his first name. This is a special sign of friendship,” the representative of the U.S. leader explained.

Notably, the current letter from Trump also contains his personal signature “Donald.” It was published on the Telegram channel Pul Pervogo. The complete text follows:

The White House

Washington

January 16, 2026

Alyaksandr Lukashenka

President of the Republic of Belarus

Dear Mr. Lukashenka,

It is my Great Honor to invite you, as President of the Republic of Belarus, to join me in a critically Historic and Magnificent effort to solidify Peace in the Middle East and, at the same time, to embark on a bold new approach to resolving Global Conflict!

On September 29th, 2025, I announced the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, an extraordinary 20-point roadmap quickly embraced by all World Leaders, including major Heads of State across the Arab World, Israel, and Europe. In furtherance of this Plan, on November 17th, the United Nations Security Council overwhelmingly adopted Resolution 2803, welcoming and endorsing this vision.

Now it is time to turn all of these Dreams into reality. At the heart of the Plan is The Board of Peace, the most impressive and consequential Board ever assembled, which will be established аs a new International Organization and Transitional Governing Administration.

Our effort will bring together a distinguished group of nations ready to shoulder the noble responsibility of building LASTING PEACE, an Honor reserved for those prepared to lead by example, and brilliantly invest in a secure and prosperous future for generations to come. We will convene our wonderful and committed partners, most of whom are Highly Respected World Leaders, in the near future.

As Chairman of the Board, I formally invite the Republic of Belarus to join as a Founding Member State, and become a party to the Charter of The Board of Peace, as represented by you. This Board will be one of a kind, there has never been anything like it! Each Member State may designate an authorized representative to attend and participate in meetings on its behalf. Enclosed are the Comprehensive Plan and the Board’s Charter, which is now open for your signature and ratification.

I look forward to working with you, long into the future, toward the goal of establishing lasting WORLD PEACE, PROSPERITY, AND GREATNESS FOR ALL!

With best wishes, I am,

Sincerely,

DONALD J. TRUMP

President of the United States of America.

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Senya, a raccoon that arrived from the USA in a car container, is successfully acclimatizing in Belarus, the State Customs Committee told BelTA.

The raccoon has been in Belarus for less than a week. During this short period, he has swapped a calm and semi-drowsy state for a very active one.

“The allocated space at the Oshmyany District Veterinary Station, where he was transferred from the departmental customs clearance point Kamenny Log, is no longer enough for Senya. He now takes his meals and conducts his ‘athletic training’ outside of it. He is friendly and well-mannered. New additions to his food preferences - crab sticks and fresh grapes - have joined the chicken eggs he loved from day one,” the Customs Committee said.

The quarantine will last until 3 February. During this period, the raccoon will undergo all required examinations.

Meanwhile, the unusual arrival from the USA is receiving visits from concerned Grodno customs officers who have taken an interest in his fate.

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Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko praised U.S. President Donald Trump for his candor during a meeting with Governor of Russia’s Kirov Oblast Alexander Sokolov in Minsk on 19 January, BelTA has learned.

“Look, he says bluntly: ‘We need Venezuela for its oil. We need Greenland for defense and it also has got everything: rare earths, oil, natural gas.’ He says it directly. Diplomats find that unacceptable. And so do I. Maybe it’s better to keep quiet about oil and talk more about drug lords, fight them. But he states bluntly: he needs oil.  ‘If you Europeans don’t buy our oil, you’re finished and so on.’ He just lays it all out,” the Belarusian leader pointed out.

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Belarus’ GDP went up by 1.3% in 2025, BelTA learned from the National Statistical Committee of Belarus.

According to estimates, in 2025 the GDP amounted to Br286.7 billion in current prices, up by 1.3% in comparable prices year-on-year.

The GDP deflator index was 111% compared to 2024.

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