Alexander Lukashenko stated that he discussed with Vladimir Putin the possibility of involving Belarus in the war against Ukraine. According to him, the Russian leader considers such a scenario unprofitable and dangerous.
The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, stated that Vladimir Putin is not interested in Belarus entering the war against Ukraine, as it would bring more problems than benefits. He mentioned this in an interview with Al Arabiya English.
In response to a question about a possible new offensive in Ukraine from the territory of Belarus, Lukashenko emphasized that such topics have been discussed with the Russian president multiple times, but the conversations were more about preventing the expansion of the conflict.
"We have talked many times about the fact that it is absolutely unacceptable for the war between Ukraine and Russia to spill over into the territory of Belarus. And I can repeat verbatim the words of the President of Russia: 'We understand that Belarus's involvement in any capacity in this conflict is unacceptable. It would bring more harm than good,'" Lukashenko stated.
According to him, one of the reasons is Belarus's vulnerability from a military standpoint.
"We fully understand that our main life support facilities, production and logistics centers would come under attack. As the Ukrainian military claims, they have already identified hundreds of targets on the territory of Belarus," he said.
The second factor Lukashenko mentioned is the attitude of Belarusian society towards the war.
He claimed that the majority of the country's citizens do not support Belarus's involvement in the armed conflict, as it would inevitably lead to human losses.
The third reason he considers is the significant increase in the front line.
"If an offensive on Kyiv were conducted from the territory of Belarus, the front line would increase by about one and a half thousand kilometers along the entire Belarusian-Ukrainian border. Neither we nor Russia could ensure its full protection under current conditions," noted the Belarusian leader.
Lukashenko also suggested that such a development could lead to even greater involvement of NATO countries in the conflict.
"Then the war would take on a completely new quality. It would be a confrontation between Belarus and Russia with the NATO bloc. Although other scenarios cannot be ruled out," he stated.
In response to a question about whether Ukraine should fear Belarus's actions, Lukashenko assured that there are no grounds for such concerns.
"There is absolutely nothing to fear. This is known by both the Ukrainian military and the people of Ukraine. The topic is artificially fueled for political reasons," he said.
Lukashenko's statements came against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine and regular discussions about the possible expansion of the conflict. The Belarusian leader claims that Minsk is not interested in opening a new front and considers such a scenario extremely risky for both Belarus and Russia.
