The Washington Post: Belarusian defense minister called his Ukrainian counterpart with instructions to surrender to Russia

August 24, BPN. On February 22, just two days before the start of the Russian war against Ukraine, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktar Chrenin assured his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov that Russian forces in Belarus would not invade Ukraine, The Washington Post reported.

“And he was a liar,” the Ukrainian defense minister told journalists.

Reznikov also said that Chrenin called him again two days after the invasion and nervously conveyed a message from Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu demanding Ukraine’s surrender. “I am ready to accept the capitulation from the Russian side,” Reznikov responded.

At a meeting with the security bloc on February 24, Alaksandr Łukašenka said that Chrenin called Reznikov at half past three in the morning, instructing him what to do step by step. “They didn’t do it which means they wanted this war. Now let them figure out who pushed them into it,” Łukašenka said.

On February 24, Russia started a full-scale war against Ukraine. Authorities in Minsk deny Belarusian army troops’ involvement in combat operations on the Russian side. However, Belarus allowed Russian troops and weapons to move freely through the country, use its airspace, refuel and store military equipment and attack Ukraine from its territory.

A 20,000-strong grouping of Russian forces crossed into Ukraine from Belarus at the outset of the war, Alaksandr Łukašenka told AFP in an interview on July 21. Russian troops retreated from northern Ukraine later.