Łukašenka says he can attack Ukraine if Belarus is attacked

February 16, BPN. Alaksandr Łukašenka has told foreign journalists that he is “ready to go to war together with the Russians” against Ukraine from Belarus if “at least one soldier crosses into the Belarusian territory to kill my people.”

He stressed that he did not want to fight and was not going to send his troops to Ukraine.

Moscow has never asked Belarus to join its war against Ukraine, even though Russia and Belarus are allies and have a joint regional group of forces, he said.

But he said he would not mind Russia’s using Belarus’ territory to invade Ukraine again, according to a BBC reporter who attended the press conference.

In February 2022, Russia started a full-scale war against Ukraine. Łukašenka admitted that Belarus participated in Russia’s war on Ukraine, but said it was “not killing anyone.” A 20,000-strong grouping of Russian forces crossed into Ukraine from Belarus at the outset of the war. Russian troops retreated from northern Ukraine later.

Authorities in Minsk denied Belarusian 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.