Aliaksandr Lukashenka says he will talk to Volodymyr Zelenskyy wherever the Ukrainian president likes. Kyiv, for its part, is busy preparing for the possibility that Russian forces come at it through Belarus.
“If (Zelenskyy) wants to discuss something, seek advice, or anything else, please do. We are open to it,” the Belarusian leader said on Friday, according to state-controlled media. He named both countries as possible venues: “I am ready to meet with him anywhere — in Ukraine, in Belarus.” The agenda, he said, would be relations between the two neighbours. BelTA reported that he also remarked on having things to discuss with Americans, Germans, Poles, Lithuanians and Latvians but, “for some reason”, not with Ukraine.
He ruled out sending his own troops or taking part in the war, with one exception. Belarus would be drawn in only if “aggression is committed against (Belarusian) territory”. Earlier in the week he put it this way: “We are not going to get drawn into the war in Ukraine. There is no necessity for this. Neither civil nor military.”
Kyiv is not convinced
Zelenskyy’s adviser Dmytro Lytvyn gave the offer short shrift. “Since 2022, it has been obvious to everyone that this man’s words mean nothing, and we should pay attention to his actions,” he told reporters. Interfax-Ukraine reported that he called the remarks “worthless”.
There is history behind the scepticism. In 2022 Belarus also denied any role in Russia’s invasion, and then Moscow used Belarusian ground to cross the border and push toward northern Ukraine and Kyiv. Lukashenka later said he had been told an attack on Belarus was being prepared, and cited that as his reason for lending Russia his territory and military facilities.
Zelenskyy spoke in Slavutych, a city about 50 km from the Belarusian frontier, on Thursday. Kyiv, he said, is ready to take “preventive” measures against Russia and the Belarusian leadership. The “de facto leadership of Belarus” must “stay on its toes”, he said, and understand there will be consequences if aggressive actions are taken against Ukraine.
On Wednesday he had announced that Ukraine, which has built up fortifications along the northern border in recent years, would add forces in that region. Intelligence data pointed to Russian planning of offensive operations in the Chernihiv-Kyiv direction, and Kyiv was “preparing responses to every possible course of enemy action”. He also told his foreign ministry to draft further diplomatic measures aimed at Belarus.
Drills and drones
The tension is running alongside a Russia-Belarus nuclear exercise this week, in which Moscow delivered nuclear munitions to field storage sites in Belarus. In April Zelenskyy said military reports showed Belarus building roads toward the Ukrainian border and setting up artillery positions nearby. Around then, Lukashenka made what the Yahoo report described as unjustified claims of aggression from Poland and the Baltic states, and said Minsk and Moscow would answer with every available means, nuclear weapons included. “We do not want war, we are not planning to fight them,” he added.
As the drills began, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) alleged that Ukraine was preparing drone attacks on Russia from Baltic territory, and threatened “retaliation”. It claimed Riga had agreed to let Kyiv launch drones from Latvia. Latvia and Ukraine both rejected this as “yet another disinformation campaign”. The Baltic states have sounded numerous air raid alerts over drone incursions this week.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called such threats unacceptable. “Russia and Belarus bear direct responsibility for drones endangering the lives and security of people on our Eastern flank,” she said. “Europe will respond with unity and strength.”
Sources
- Lukashenka offers to meet Zelenskyy as Ukraine warns of Russia's new offensive through Belarus
- Lukashenko offers to meet Zelenskyy ‘anywhere,’ including Ukraine
