Kyiv says used lawmaker to talk to Minsk amid war

May 16, BPN. Ukraine used lawmaker Yevheniy Shevchenko to communicate with Belarusian authorities amid Russia’s full-scale invasion, the chief of Ukraine’s military intelligence has said.

Kyrylo Budanov told the Rizni Liudy YouTube channel that Kyiv used all communication channels to prevent Belarus from joining the war against Ukraine or allowing further attacks from its territory, and that the effort had succeeded.

Russia has repeatedly struck Ukraine from Belarusian territory, where it has an increased military presence. It used Belarus as a launchpad for its February 2022 offensive on Kyiv. At the same time, Minsk says that Belarusian troops are not directly involved in hostilities in Ukraine.

Shevchenko publicly backed Alaksandr Łukašenka and called for his recognition as the winner of the 2020 election, which was rejected by most democracies. He met with Łukašenka in Minsk in April 2021, and was later kicked out of Ukraine’s ruling Servant of the People party for his contacts.