Lukashenko Makes Controversial Statement

The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, did not warn his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, in February 2022 that he was planning to launch an attack on Ukraine from Belarusian territory. This was stated by Lukashenko in an interview with the BBC.

“Exercises were conducted with the participation of several thousand Russian soldiers. Putin started to withdraw those troops from where they were located in the south of Belarus along the border with Ukraine. At some point, he redirected some of those troops towards Kyiv. I am confident that they were provoked,” Lukashenko said.

According to him, how the Russian troops will exit Belarusian territory depends solely on Putin. He could do it either towards Kyiv or Minsk, Lukashenko noted.

The journalist asked if at that moment the Belarusian president had called Putin to clarify what was happening. “No, he did not call me. And I did not call him. Those are his troops, and he has the right to withdraw them wherever he wants,” Lukashenko stated.

Moreover, after the start of the war, Russia has deployed tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. However, Lukashenko assured that without his consent, Putin cannot use those weapons against Ukraine in the conflict. He stated he is ready to resort to this “only if the boot of a (foreign) soldier steps on Belarusian territory.” “We do not intend to attack anyone,” Lukashenko assured.