Belarusian President Lukashenko did not expect the Russian “military operation” in neighboring Ukraine to “take so long,” he said in a rare interview with AP news agency. “I’m not familiar with this problem enough to say if the operation is going according to plan as the Russians say, but I want to say again, it’s taking a very long time.”
Lukashenko is a staunch ally of Putin, and shortly after the incursion began in February, there was speculation that Belarusian military personnel might also invade Ukraine. Those rumors have been silenced in recent weeks, and the president says in this conversation that he is trying to end the violence. “We are categorically against any war, and we are doing everything we can to end it now. Thanks to me, negotiations have started between the Russians and Ukrainians.”
Yesterday, a major military exercise by the rapid reaction force started in the country. The aim would be to find out how quickly the units can react to sudden crisis situations.
Lukashenko told the AP that he blames the Ukrainians for “provoking the Russian invasion” and that they are “not interested in negotiations” to stop the violence. “And that while the war is on their territory, people are dying.” Lukashenko says he does not know whether Russia plans to use nuclear weapons, but he calls the use of nuclear weapons “unacceptable”.
