Ukrainian MP calls for breaking off diplomatic ties with “Łukašenka’s illegitimate regime”

January 18, BPN. Oleksii Honcharenko, leader of For Democratic Belarus cross-party group in Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada, launched a petition to demand that Ukraine break off diplomatic ties with Minsk.

Belarus “has in fact lost its statehood and independence under the rule of Alaksandr Łukašenka’s dictatorial regime and is under full control of Russia,” reads the petition posted on the website of the Ukrainian presidential office.

In February 2022, Russia used Belarus to launch an attack on Kyiv, while about 11,000 Russian soldiers, as well as Russian military equipment and aircraft, are threatening Ukraine from Belarus, Honcharenko noted.

Łukašenka “keeps making ambiguous statements, threatening the Ukrainian authorities, and constantly escalating the situation around the offensive,” he said. At the same time, a Ukrainian ambassador remains in Minsk and “Ukraine maintains diplomatic relations with Łukašenka’s illegitimate regime,” the MP added.

More than 300 people signed the petition in one day. At least 25,000 signatures are required for it to be considered by the Ukrainian president.

In February 2022, Russia started a full-scale war against Ukraine. Łukašenka admitted that Belarus participated in it, but said it was “not killing anyone.”

Authorities in Minsk denied Belarusian army troops’ involvement in combat operations on the Russian side. However, Belarus allowed Russian troops to attack Ukraine from its territory on multiple occasions.