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.
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."
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.
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.
Another busy day is underway at the FIFA World Cup as Ivory Coast reached the knockouts for the first time. Ecuador stunned Germany, the Netherlands t...
The UN's International Maritime Organization has paused escort operations through the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo ship was reportedly attacked near...
At least 188 people have been killed and 1,520 injured after powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said. The quakes...
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 26 June, covering the latest developments you need to know....
Power was fully or partly cut across the Russian-held part of Ukraine’s Kherson region early on Friday (26 June), according to the Moscow-installed ...
Another busy day is underway at the FIFA World Cup as Ivory Coast reached the knockouts for the first time. Ecuador stunned Germany, the Netherlands topped Group F, and Japan and Sweden advanced. Meanwhile, Türkiye shocked the USA and Australia drew with Paraguay to progress.
The UN's International Maritime Organization has paused escort operations through the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo ship was reportedly attacked near Oman, with two U.S. officials accusing Iran of the attack.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 26 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Power was fully or partly cut across the Russian-held part of Ukraine’s Kherson region early on Friday (26 June), according to the Moscow-installed governor Vladimir Saldo.
Russia has called for clarification on whether U.S. President Donald Trump has changed his position on the war in Ukraine following remarks made at the recent G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains.
As Western Europe battles a deadly heatwave that has shattered temperature records, disrupted transport and power supplies, and forced the closure of schools and cultural landmarks, attention is turning to whether El Niño is playing a role in the extreme conditions.
Israel's defence minister said on Wednesday Israeli troops will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, highlighting a hurdle to Iran-U.S. peace talks, as the top U.S. diplomat tours the Middle East to win over allies sceptical about a proposed deal.
The U.S. Senate rejected a resolution on Wednesday that would have directed President Donald Trump to remove U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress formally authorised military action.
An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck Japan's northeast coast on Thursday, but no tsunami warning was issued, no injuries were immediately reported and no irregularities were found at nuclear facilities, the authorities said.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 26 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Power was fully or partly cut across the Russian-held part of Ukraine’s Kherson region early on Friday (26 June), according to the Moscow-installed governor Vladimir Saldo.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has formally notified Congress of its intention to sell more than $700 million worth of jet engines to Türkiye. The move drew objections from lawmakers over Ankara’s continued possession of Russian-made S-400 air defence systems.
A federal judge has ordered Elon Musk to testify under oath in two proposed class-action lawsuits accusing him of misleading voters in swing states with his $1 million-a-day giveaway ahead of the 2024 U.S. election.
Torrential rain from Typhoon Mekkhala shut down large parts of southern Taiwan on Thursday (25 June), leaving more than five million people off work or school as flooding cut sections of the island’s main rail line and forced evacuations.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment