Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko has offered unsolicited advice to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying Kyiv must “negotiate” with Moscow if it wants to preserve Ukraine’s current borders.
According to Russian state media cited by RBC-Ukraine, the self-proclaimed Belarusian leader said he “did not see anything” in the Trump administration’s proposed peace plan that would prevent Kyiv from striking an agreement with Russia.
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
Lukashenko, who allowed Russia to use Belarusian territory to launch its full-scale invasion, also issued a thinly veiled threat, claiming Ukraine could instantly lose its access to the Black Sea:
“As long as Ukraine has access to the sea, Odesa and Mykolaiv, this may disappear in a single moment.”
He further argued that the war might produce “no winners,” and if one emerges, “it will not be the European Union.” Lukashenko added that he “believes more than ever” in a rapid end to the war.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Belarus has played a key role in enabling the assault. Lukashenko opened Belarusian territory to Russian troops, missiles and aircraft, making his regime directly complicit in the war.
Earlier this month President Volodymyr Zelensky issued one of his strongest statements yet toward Belarus, saying during a briefing attended by Kyiv Post that self-proclaimed President Alexander Lukashenko “will pay” for allowing Russian forces to launch the full-scale invasion of Ukraine from Belarusian territory on Feb. 24, 2022.
Other Topics of Interest
Brick by Brick, Dull As Drones, Ugly Americans in Kyiv
Stefan Korshak, Kyiv Post’s military correspondent, shares his perspective on recent developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“Lukashenko should not forget,” Zelensky said.
“Now he has become very talkative in the media and tries to show how kind he is to our people. We did not need his kindness at four in the morning when the rockets arrived.”
He stressed that Ukrainians remember exactly how the invasion began.
“If he thinks he can talk away our memory… We are young people, we remember everything very well,” Zelensky said.
“And he will still pay for what he has done – for allowing the attack from his territory. The start of the full-scale war came at us from Belarus. Nobody will forget this.”
Lukashenko’s latest comments follow intensifying discussions between the United States, Europe, and Ukraine over potential models for future security guarantees and a long-term settlement.