The nationalist octopus of Lithuanian liberal conservatives sang its swan song: Russia's nuclear bombs are moving right into neighborhood of Vilnius

Poor octopus... This is a result of Landsbergiai' failed attempt to organize a color revolution in Belarus that pushed Belarus closer to Russia.

"MINSK, Belarus -- Voters casting ballots in Sunday's referendum were poised to abandon the country's non-nuclear status, an outcome that could lead to Moscow deploying such weapons in Belarus just as Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the alert level for his country's nuclear forces.

Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus's longtime leader, is expected to tighten his grip on power in the far-reaching constitutional referendum that was all but certain to pass in the tightly controlled political system. The vote, beyond upending Belarus's position on nuclear weapons, could allow Mr. Lukashenko to extend his term as president.

As he cast his vote, Mr. Lukashenko said he would ask Mr. Putin for nuclear weapons if the West threatened Belarus.

Michael Kofman, an expert on the Russian military at CNA, a not-for-profit research organization, said it would represent a further signal Belarus is becoming more firmly ensconced in Russia's security orbit. A deployment of Russian nuclear forces to Belarus wouldn't meaningfully affect the West's security calculus, he added.

The invasion of Ukraine that kicked off last week has horrified many Belarusians, who see Ukrainians as a brother nation. On Sunday, hundreds of Belarusians took to the streets chanting "No to war" and "Russia out." They gathered outside constitutional-referendum polling stations, marched through the capital Minsk's streets carrying Ukraine's yellow-and-blue flags, and laid flowers at the Ukrainian Embassy.

Russia has been using Belarus as a de facto staging base for its attack on Ukraine. Moscow massed some 30,000 troops in the country in the days before the invasion, along with tanks, jet fighters, attack helicopters, and missile systems. On Thursday, Russian troops poured across Belarus's border into Ukraine, just 70 miles from the capital Kyiv. Russian forces have since used the country to lob missiles at Ukraine, and to launch aircraft and heliborne insertions, military analysts say." [1]

 1. The Ukraine Crisis: Belarus Set to Open Door To Moscow's Nuclear Arms
Gershkovich, Evan. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 28 Feb 2022: A.8.