President Lukashenko Says Putin Doesn't Encourage Belarus to Join the War in Ukraine, But Will Always Help Russia

JAKARTA - Russian President Vladimir Putin is not trying to encourage Belarus to join the war in Ukraine, says President Alexander Lukashenko, although he will always help Russia.

"Engaging Belarus ... what will it give? Nothing," said President Lukashenko, one of President Putin's closest allies, whose country borders Ukraine, Russia, and three NATO countries including Poland, citing Reuters, August 18.

"If you Ukrainians had not crossed our borders, we would never have participated in this war. In this hot war. But we will always help the Russians, they are our allies," he said in an interview with Diana Panchenko, a pro-Ukrainian journalist. Russia.

President Lukashenko also said he believed President Putin had achieved his goals in what Russia called a "special military operation" in Ukraine, saying that the two sides should sit down at the negotiating table and be ready to discuss all issues, including the future of Crimea and the territory of Ukraine. others claimed by Moscow.

"Its (Russia's) goals have been fulfilled to date. Ukraine will never be so aggressive towards Russia after this war is over, as it was before the war," President Lukashenko said.

"Negotiations must start without preconditions. This is a classic of diplomacy. I think so. We must sit down at the negotiating table and discuss everything. And Crimea, and Kherson, Zaporozhye, Donetsk, and Lugansk. Everything there needs to be discussed," he explained.

President Putin said Russia had to send tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine last year to protect its own security and that of indigenous Russians, especially in eastern Ukraine, from what he said were "neo-Nazis" and ultra-nationalists who ruled Kyiv.

Meanwhile, Ukraine and its Western allies say it makes no sense, seeing the Russian invasion as an imperial-style land grab.

Nevertheless, President Lukashenko warned that Belarus would respond in the event of external aggression, including through the use of nuclear weapons that Moscow has placed on its territory.

"There is only one threat - aggression against our country. If aggression against our country starts from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, we will immediately respond with everything we have," he stressed.

"Against Ukraine, if they commit aggression against us, not only nuclear weapons will be used. We have something other than nuclear weapons. And we are not going to warn you if you cross a red line, we are going to attack decision-making centers. This will be done without warning," he said.