Lukashenko warns Ukraine against dragging Belarus into war

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has warned Ukraine not to try to draw his country into the war, saying any such move would change the conflict "instantly".

Speaking on Thursday, Lukashenko said Ukrainian representatives had recently travelled to Minsk, where he delivered a blunt message for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"I told them bluntly: 'Guys, tell your president: if he thinks he can talk to us like that — and drag us into a war to boot - then he needs to understand that the nature of the war would change instantly,'" Lukashenko said.

He added that Belarus had no wish to fight its neighbour.

"We received a reply: the president and his team understand this. So, let's reach an agreement, guys. We need to reach a substantive agreement."

Kyiv did not immediately respond to his remarks.

Tensions continue to grow

The exchange comes as tensions between the two countries continue to rise. Zelenskyy has repeatedly claimed Russia wants Belarus to play a bigger role in the war, accusing Minsk of allowing its territory to support Russian drone attacks.

Last week, the Ukrainian leader threatened to disable signal relay stations in Belarus that he said were helping guide Russian drones. On Wednesday, he said the stations had stopped working, although there was no independent confirmation.

After meeting his foreign intelligence chief, Oleh Luhovskyi, Zelenskyy also accused Belarus of improving roads near the border and expanding fuel and ammunition storage sites.

"Belarus knows what steps are needed on its part for peace," he wrote on Telegram. "The development of border infrastructure for aggression from Belarus must be stopped."

Moscow and Minsk reject claims

The Kremlin dismissed a report by The Wall Street Journal that Russia was pressuring Belarus to launch more attacks on Ukraine or risk losing financial support.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the report "does not correspond to reality" and described Belarus as "our closest ally".

Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin blamed the West for rising tensions, saying NATO was strengthening forces near Belarus' borders and trying to expand the conflict.

"Today, we are acutely aware of a blatant attempt to drag Belarus into the war," he said.

Belarus remains a key ally

Although Lukashenko has not sent Belarusian troops into Ukraine, he allowed Russia to use Belarus as a launchpad for its full-scale invasion in 2022.

Belarus also hosts Russian tactical nuclear weapons, carries out regular joint military drills and allows Moscow to use its military bases and training grounds.

Russia also relies on Belarus in other ways. Belarus' two major oil refineries process Russian crude and supply fuel back to Russia, a link that has become more important as Ukrainian strikes have disrupted refineries inside Russia.

Read more: 

• Kremlin denies report claiming Russia is pressuring Belarus over Ukraine
• Belarus faces growing risks as Ukraine warns over support for Russian attacks
• Belarus steps up fuel supplies as Ukrainian drone strikes hit Russian production

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News Belarus Ukraine War Lukashenko Volodymyr Zelenskyy Russia