Key facts
- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko warned Ukraine against involving his country in the conflict.
- Lukashenko stated Belarus has no desire to fight Ukrainians.
- Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited Kyiv.
- French President Emmanuel Macron urged Lukashenko against allowing Belarus to be drawn into Russia's war.
- Lukashenko indicated Belarus would join Russia's war only if Belarus is attacked first.
- Ukraine dismissed Lukashenko's conditional threat and offer for talks.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has stated that he warned Ukraine not to drag his country into the ongoing conflict, emphasizing that Belarus has no desire to engage in hostilities with Ukrainians. This statement comes amid heightened international scrutiny of Belarus's potential support for Moscow's invasion.
Lukashenko's remarks follow a visit to Kyiv by Belarus's exiled opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and a phone conversation between French President Emmanuel Macron and Lukashenko. During their call, Macron underscored the risks for Belarus of becoming involved in Russia's war of aggression. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also repeatedly warned that Belarus could serve as a launchpad for Russia to open a new front in northern Ukraine.
Lukashenko has indicated that Belarus would officially join Russia's war against Ukraine only if Belarus itself is attacked first. However, Kyiv has dismissed this conditional threat, with Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Dmytro Lytvyn stating that Lukashenko's words mean "nothing" given Belarus's prior role as a staging ground for the 2022 invasion. Ukraine continues to monitor military developments along its northern border and reinforce defensive positions, warning of severe consequences for any Belarusian attempt to expand the conflict.