Lukashenko asked the Russian ambassador not to drag Belarus into the war
Lukashenko’s regime does not want to join the fighting against Ukraine. Alexander Lukashenko stated this at a meeting with Russian Ambassador Boris Gryzlov and Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov, publicly acknowledging for the first time that the Kremlin, through Gryzlov, is trying to persuade Belarus to become more actively involved in the conflict.
“There is no need to get drawn into the war. And there is no need to push us to the conclusion that Boris Vyacheslavovich is orchestrating a process to drag us into it,” Lukashenko said, addressing Gryzlov. The Belarusian state news agency BelTA clarified that these words were addressed specifically to the ambassador, while Russian propagandists at TASS ignored the phrase in their report. Lukashenko added that he had discussed this issue with Vladimir Putin on numerous occasions and had reiterated to him that Belarusians do not want to fight Ukrainians. He softened his refusal by offering economic and security assistance to Russian regions, including the Moscow region. The Wall Street Journal, citing former and current Russian and European officials, reported on Moscow’s pressure on Minsk. According to the publication, since the beginning of the year, Russia has been seeking to use Belarusian territory for strikes against Ukraine and hybrid operations against NATO countries, threatening to cut off financial support. According to sources, the negotiations are being led primarily by Gryzlov. French President Emmanuel Macron called Lukashenko in May and warned him against entering the war.