Lukašenka does not rule out that Russian troops stationed in Belarus are used in military actions against Ukraine

February 24, BPN. At a meeting with the representatives of the power bloc on February 24, Aliaksandr Lukašenka did not rule out that the Russian troops remaining in Belarus after the joint exercise Union Resolve 2022 could be used in military actions against Ukraine.

“Frankly speaking, the remaining Russian Federation’s forces, which were on the southern borders of our Belarus, might have been involved in this operation, of course, by the Russian General Staff (I still know this only from the media),” he said.

At the same time, Lukašenka accused the Ukrainian side of unwillingness to avoid military actions, claiming that “they probably wanted this conflict and did nothing to prevent it.” According to Lukašenka, late in the previous evening, Ukrainian border guards at the southern border of Belarus “just ran away.” “Who was there to attack? By the time the operation started, there were no border guards on that side,” he said.

Lukašenka also mentioned the phone call of Belarusian Defense Minister Viktar Chrenin to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov on February 24, at about 2:30 am, when “it was clearly stated what had to be done, point by point.” “They didn’t do it which means that they wanted this war. Now let them figure out who pushed them to this,” he said.

At the meeting, Lukašenka also admitted possible participation of Belarusian troops in Russian military operations in Ukraine. As he said, “our troops are not there,” but “if need be, if it is necessary for Belarus and Russia, they would be there.”