Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko warned in an interview that the country is on the brink of ‘nuclear war’ and called for an immediate end to the war in Ukraine. Insisting that Ukraine accept Russia’s terms, Lukashenko said, “Everything depends on Ukraine.
In an interview with AFP, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, warned that Russia, Ukraine and the West must agree as soon as possible to avoid the “abyss of nuclear war” and insisted that Kiev accept Moscow’s demands.
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WE MUST STOP THE WAR
Speaking at the Palace of Independence in Minsk, Lukashenko said: “We need to end this mess, operation and war in Ukraine and reach an agreement.”
“Let’s stop for a while and then we will understand how to continue living.”
NUCLEAR WAR WARNING
Speaking on the 148th day of the Ukrainian war, the Belarusian leader accused the West of entering into conflict with Russia and provoking Ukraine, saying: “You provoked the war and you are continuing it. There is no need to go further. A nuclear war lies beyond. There is no need to go there.”
“NATO members and the Americans needed the war,” Lukashenko said, claiming that he could have prevented the war if Western countries had given Putin the ‘security guarantees’ he wanted.
EVERYTHING DEPENDS ON UKRAINE
The 67-year-old leader, who has ruled Belarus for nearly three decades, insisted that Kiev could end the war if it resumed negotiations with Moscow and accepted its demands, saying, “Everything depends on Ukraine. Kiev must sit at the negotiating table and pledge never to threaten Russia.”
UKRAINE MUST ACCEPT THE TERRITORIES IT HAS LOST
Talks between Russia and Ukraine gained momentum in Istanbul but came to a halt in mid-April. In his latest statement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that peace talks with Ukraine were “meaningless” and announced that its troops were no longer focused “exclusively” in the east.
Lukashenko said Ukraine must accept the loss of Russian-occupied territories.
HAS NOT PARTICIPATED IN THE WAR SO FAR
Belarus has laid the groundwork for Russian intervention in Ukraine, but has so far refrained from taking sides in the conflict. Analysts note that most Belarusians are not in favor of sending troops to Ukraine.
In a statement in the early days of the war, Lukashenko made his support for Putin clear, saying, “If our ally Russia is directly attacked, Belarus will join it.”
HISTORY OF RUSSIA-BELARUS PARTNERSHIP
When Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014, Lukashenko remained remarkably neutral. Then, when Volodymyr Zelensky was elected President in 2019, Lukashenko again extended a friendly hand and claimed that he wanted to strengthen ties between the two countries. However, the two countries’ friendly ties lasted until major protests erupted in Belarus in August 2020.
As thousands of people took to the streets in Belarus after the disputed elections, the support Lukashenko was waiting for came from the Kremlin. Lukashenko, who suppressed the protests with Russia’s support, has been on Putin’s side ever since.
