In an interview with Al Arabiya posted on his website, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said drawing Belarus into the Russia–Ukraine war would be unacceptable — and apologized to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
During the interview, an Al Arabiya reporter asked Lukashenko to comment on statements by Ukrainian officials and military figures about the threat of a Russian offensive from Belarusian territory.
He said he and Putin both considered drawing Belarus into the war “absolutely unacceptable.” Drawing Belarus into the war would cause more harm than good, Lukashenko said.
“Belarus is very vulnerable militarily,” Lukashenko said. “Because everything in Belarus is in plain sight of the Ukrainian military. We understand perfectly well that our main critical infrastructure facilities — production and logistics — would come under attack.” He said Ukraine has “absolutely nothing” to fear from Belarus.
Lukashenko acknowledged he may have “gone overboard” in his earlier remarks about Zelensky. He said he had made the remarks in response to statements and threats from Ukraine.
In late May, Lukashenko commented on statements by the commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert Brovdi, who said Ukrainian forces had identified about 500 potential targets on Belarusian territory.
Among other things, he said that Minsk also had “one very serious target” in Ukraine. He also said:
- “Look, the president is all talk — no offense, Vladimir Alexandrovich [Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelensky], but it’s just blather — and what the military actually thinks are two different things entirely. Ukraine’s military wants nothing to do with any war with Belarus.”
- “Maybe something happened to him — he smoked something, shot something up, whatever … Something happened, and now he’s making these statements. I just feel sorry for him. That’s why I don’t say anything. God forbid anyone should end up in a situation like that.”
“If Vladimir Alexandrovich [Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelensky] took offense, I apologize to him for those words,” Lukashenko said. “Maybe it wasn’t necessary [to say them], given that he is, after all, fighting a war. Maybe I didn’t need to speak about it so harshly. But on the other hand, he should understand — we often say what goes around comes around.”
He also said Zelensky needed to be more careful and more cautious, and to “calm down” and stop “provoking Belarusians.”
Zelensky said in April that military activity in Belarus had increased, warning that Russia might try to draw the country into the war. Lukashenko previously said that he does not want war but is prepared to enter one if Ukraine attacks Belarus.
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