In an interview with the Associated Press on Thursday, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko justified Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but said he did not expect the 10-week conflict to “drag on in this way,”
KYIV. UkraineGate , 5 , May , 2022 | Ukraine News.
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Lukashenko also spoke out against the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, but did not say whether Russian President Vladimir Putin had such plans.
He said Moscow, which began invading Ukraine on February 24 – partly from its territory – had to act because Kyiv “provoked Russia”.
“But I am not immersed enough in this problem to say whether it is going according to plan, as the Russians say, or how I feel,” he said.
“I want to emphasize once again: I feel that this operation has dragged on,” the dictator added.
Lukashenko, who had previously publicly supported Putin and allowed Belarus to invade Ukrainian territory, told the AP that he and his country were in favor of peace, and had repeatedly called for an end to the war.
“We categorically do not accept any war. We have done and are doing everything now to prevent war. Thanks to your humble servant, ie me, negotiations between Ukraine and Russia have begun,” he said.
Lukashenko also spoke out against the use of nuclear weapons.
“The use of nuclear weapons is unacceptable not only because it is close to us – we are not overseas like the United States. It is also unacceptable because it can knock our globe out of orbit,” he said.
According to him, “whether Russia is capable of this is a question that should be asked by the Russian leadership.”
Russia “by definition cannot lose this war,” Lukashenko said, noting that Belarus is the only country that supports Moscow, while “50 states have joined forces” on Ukraine’s side.
He added that Putin was not looking for a direct conflict with NATO, and that the West should make sure that did not happen.
The 67-year-old Lukashenko called Putin his “older brother” and said the Russian dictator had “closer, more open or more friendly relations with any of the world’s leaders except the president of Belarus.”
However, he told the AP that Minsk did not pose a threat to Ukraine, despite the fact that its military was training this week.
“We do not threaten anyone and we are not going to threaten or will not. Especially since we can not threaten – we know who is opposed to us, so to resolve a conflict here, a war… absolutely not in favor of the Belarusian state. So the West he can sleep peacefully, “he said.
Source: Ukrgate
