Lukashenka offers to meet Zelenskyy as Ukraine warns of Russia's new offensive through Belarus
Zelenskyy earlier warned Belarus of “consequences” over possible deeper involvement in Russia’s all-out war amid growing concerns that Moscow is seeking to open a new front against Ukraine from Belarus, as it did in early 2022.
Belarusian President Aliaksandr Lukashenka offered to meet his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy anywhere — in Ukraine or Belarus — as Kyiv warned that Russia was preparing a new offensive through Belarusian territory toward the capital and the Chernihiv region.
"If (Zelenskyy) wants to discuss something, seek advice, or anything else, please do. We are open to it," Lukashenka said on Friday, according to the state-controlled media outlets.
”I am ready to meet with him anywhere — in Ukraine, in Belarus — and discuss the problems of Belarusian-Ukrainian relations.”
Lukashenka also denied any plans to involve his country in the war — unless "aggression is committed against (Belarusian) territory".
Ukraine’s president said on Thursday that Kyiv is prepared to take "preventive" measures against Russia and the Belarusian leadership over potential military threats to northern Ukraine, amid a Russia-Belarus nuclear exercise and the consequent tensions with European NATO members, sparked by drone incursions in the Baltic.
“The de facto leadership of Belarus” must “stay on its toes – that is, clearly understand that there will be consequences if aggressive actions against Ukraine, against our people, are taken,” Zelenskyy said as he visited Slavutych, a city roughly 50 km from the Belarusian border.
Kyiv has dismissed the proposal.
"Since 2022, it has been obvious to everyone that this man's words mean nothing, and we should pay attention to his actions," Zelenskyy's advisor Dmytro Lytvyn told reporters.
'The problems of Belarusian-Ukrainian relations'
In 2022 Belarus also denied that it might be involved in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Yet Moscow used Belarusian territory to cross Ukraine’s border and move its forces towards the northern regions and the capital Kyiv.
"We are not going to get drawn into the war in Ukraine. There is no necessity for this. Neither civil nor military," Lukashanka said this week, claiming there is "only one case" in which Belarus could be drawn into the war – if "aggression is committed against its territory".
In 2022 he stated that an attack was being prepared on Belarus and this, according to Lukashenka, justified his decision to lend Belarus territory and military facilities to Russia for Moscow’s full- scale invasion of Ukraine.
Kyiv has built up fortifications along its northern border with Belarus in recent years and will now further increase its forces in northern Ukraine, Zelenskyy said on Wednesday.
Having analysed the data from Ukraine’s intelligence agencies on “Russia’s planning of offensive operations in the Chernihiv-Kyiv direction,” Kyiv is “preparing responses to every possible course of enemy action — if the Russians do indeed dare to expand their aggression," according to Zelenskyy.
“We are also reviewing the possibilities of our external activity. I instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to prepare additional measures of diplomatic influence regarding Belarus, which Russia may use for such an expansion of the war,” Ukraine's president said.
Earlier in April Zelenskyy also said that based on Ukraine’s military reports, Belarus is building roads towards the Ukrainian border and setting up artillery positions near Ukraine.
Threats not only to Ukraine
Around the same time in April Lukashenka made unjustified claims about alleged aggression against Belarus from Poland and the Baltic states and outlined how Minsk, together with Moscow, would respond using all available means, including nuclear weapons.
"My task is to warn my neighbours – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and possibly to some extent Ukraine. May God protect them from aggression against Belarus. We do not want war, we are not planning to fight them."
One month later Belarus and Russia held nuclear exercises this week, which included Moscow delivering nuclear munitions to field storage facilities in Belarus.
As the drills started, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) issued a statement claiming that Ukraine was preparing to launch drone attacks against Russia from the territory of the Baltic states and threatened “retaliation”.
Moscow claimed that Riga had agreed to let Kyiv launch drones from Latvian territory “despite fears of becoming a target for retaliatory strikes by Moscow”.
“The primitive Russophobia of Latvia’s current rulers proved stronger than their capacity for critical thinking or their sense of self-preservation," SVR said.
Both Latvia and Ukraine denied the claims, calling them “yet another disinformation campaign”.
“It is worth recalling that the coordinates of decision-making centres on Latvian territory are well known, and the country’s NATO membership will not protect those who aid terrorists from just retribution,” SVR stated as the Baltic states issued numerous air raid alerts this week over drone incursions.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said threats like this are unacceptable — and promised that “Europe will respond.”
“Russia and Belarus bear direct responsibility for drones endangering the lives and security of people on our Eastern flank. Europe will respond with unity and strength," von der Leyen said.
