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Russia’s Occupation Chief Offers Belarus Stolen Ukrainian Coastline for “Resorts”
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Russia’s occupation chief in southern Ukraine says he is ready to hand Belarus part of Ukraine’s Azov–Black Sea coastline for “resorts,” while Alexander Lukashenko warns Belarus must “update its defense measures”—a dual message pointing to deeper military coordination on occupied Ukrainian land.
Volodymyr Saldo, the Kremlin-installed head of the occupied Kherson region, claimed he is prepared to offer Belarus access to stretches of Ukraine’s seaside territory, which he described as “an ideal place for resort development,” according to the Ukrainian National Resistance Center on December 9.
Saldo said discussions had already taken place regarding transferring coastal land for long-term use.
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Ukrainian analysts say the proposal is not about tourism—it is a public declaration of intent to dispose of Ukrainian land and bring a third country into its control.
Belarus as a key auxiliary actor in Russia’s territorial influence
Sources on the occupied territory told the National Resistance Center that negotiations with Belarusian entities have been underway since at least the summer of 2024. Behind closed doors, specific sections of shoreline between Henichesk and the Arabat Spit were floated for long-term transfer.
Saldo allegedly framed the idea as an exchange of “political loyalty from Minsk,” which, in his view, allows Moscow to “legitimize” Belarusian presence.
Analysts stress the “resort” narrative is a cover. The sites would serve as dual-use facilities—logistics hubs, secure compounds, and staging areas for Russian and Belarusian security forces. The tactic allows the Kremlin to deepen military presence, recruit allies, and bypass international law under the guise of civilian development.
Kherson region, they argue, is being treated as a resource zone where resort branding masks long-term strategic deployment.
Meanwhile, in Minsk, the rhetoric shifts
At a December 9 meeting of Belarus’ Security Council, Alexander Lukashenko declared the need to “update defensive actions,” citing military spending increases in Poland, Germany, and neighboring states, according to Belarusian independent media Pozirk.
“Poland, Germany, and others are not just increasing their military budgets—they are trying to double their armies,” Lukashenko claimed. “And they are not spending huge money just for nothing, as they say, to confront Russia and Belarus.”
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“We are not going to attack anyone. We have everything we need,” he insisted. “But we need to update our defensive measures so that everyone sees we are ready to defend every piece of our land.”
Lukashenko also maintained that Belarus “does not want war” and views no nation as an enemy—while simultaneously stating: “We are preparing for this war so that it doesn’t happen.”
He added that Belarus considers defense a core priority: “That’s why we demanded the return of nuclear weapons, which we achieved. And the deployment of the most modern Russian systems. We have full understanding and support from Russia—together we will defend our country.”
Earlier, Britain’s former MI6 chief Richard Moore said recent intelligence makes clear that Russian leader Vladimir Putin has no intention of negotiating an end to the war.
“It’s telling us, for example, that Putin has no intention of doing a deal, that this is not an issue for him purely of territory, this is about dominating and turning Ukraine into something that looks rather like its neighbor, Belarus,” he said.
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