Countries around the world are torn apart by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Mainly the Western bloc under the auspices of NATO which from the beginning has positioned itself to support Ukraine.
Various sanctions and economic embargoes were imposed on Russia. This was done as a warning step to immediately stop the war. Various Western countries' cooperation with Russia was also terminated. On the other hand, assistance to Ukraine, both primary arms shipments and humanitarian assistance has been increased.
However, despite the sympathy of the majority of the world's countries for Ukraine, there are 6 countries that openly support the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Curious who they are? Check out the explanation!
Belarus
Belarus was the first country to show its support for Russia. Reporting from detikNews, Belarus openly let Russia conduct military training on the Belarusian border facing Ukraine.
At first, Belarus helped to confirm Putin that the military troops that had arrived were only for training. Now that Russia has launched an invasion, Belarus is openly supporting and even assisting Russian military forces if needed.
Local Ukrainian media, The Kyiv Independent, stated that the movements of Belarusian military aircraft had been caught several times by eyewitnesses operating in the skies over Ukraine. As a result of this attitude, the Western bloc to Asian and Middle Eastern countries that criticized Russia also imposed economic sanctions and even canceled invitations to their representatives in the world of sports.
Chechnya
Chechnya is a former Soviet Union country that only became independent in 1993. Although it was at odds with Russia at the time, bilateral relations between the two countries have started to improve since Russia gave Chechnya independence. The closeness of the two countries is increasingly intertwined when they both have tensions with the United States (US).
Today, Chechnya is known as one of the countries that has been the most vocal in supporting the Russian invasion. Reporting from the detiNews page, the Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov did not even hesitate to show off 12 thousand Chechen volunteer soldiers who were ready to be sent to help Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Not only that, Kadyrov openly asked Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky to apologize to Vladimir Putin and asked the Ukrainian people to overthrow the current government.
Myanmar Military Junta
Myanmar not only supports the Russian invasion, but also seems to admire Russia's courage in facing the threat of Western blocs. According to Myanmar's military junta Zaw Min Tun, Russia is realizing its strong position in the world.
This statement, as quoted by AFP, is a statement that clearly supports Russia, especially considering Russia's role as a major ally and Myanmar's largest major arms supplier.
Reporting from the detikNews page, Zaw Min Tun said that Russia's attack on Ukraine could be justified as a step to protect their country's sovereignty.
Venezuela
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has expressed his full support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. As reported by AFP, this support emerged in Maduro's phone conversation with Vladimir Putin. In the conversation, Maduro denounced the interference of the US and NATO. Maduro also touched on Western media propaganda which was considered full of lies and disinformation.
To Maduro, Putin insisted that Russia only wanted a neutral and non-nuclear position for Ukraine towards Russia, wanted Kiev's recognition of the annexation of Crimea since 2014, and ensured the protection of the Donbass people who must be recognized for their independence.
Despite supporting Russia and condemning the Western bloc, Maduro reiterated his priority position via Twitter that Venezuela supports understanding and dialogue as a way to maintain peace.
Cuba
The Cuban government as one of Russia's allies in Latin America supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Reporting from Reuters, Cuba tends to blame the US for increasing tensions between Russia and Ukraine. According to the official Cuban government, the unilateral and unfair sanctions of the Western bloc and NATO's expansion into Eastern Europe are the triggers for the escalation of the conflict in Eurasia.
As quoted by Reuters, Russia had stated in December 2021 that rising tensions in Ukraine were feared could lead to a repeat of the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 when the world was on the verge of nuclear war. At that time, Russia placed nuclear missiles on the island of Cuba and triggered the US to carry out a naval blockade on Cuba. Tensions that occurred between Russia and Cuba and the US at that time seemed to be brought back into the current conflict situation.
Syria
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad praised the Russian government's move to invade Ukraine and ignored the Western bloc's threats. He emphasized that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was a form of historical correction. The Syrian presidential office even stressed that Russia was working to restore balance in the global order after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Bashar al-Assad's support is widely associated with past alliances when the Syrian conflict broke out since 2011. The Russian military has taken steps to intervene in the Syrian civil conflict since 2015, after receiving an official request by the Syrian government for military assistance to be sent against rebel groups.
So far, sanctions have not only come from the Western bloc, but also from Asian and Middle Eastern countries. Sanctions do not only ensnare the state, those who support Russia also suffer severe consequences for their actions.