Lukashenko says he is ready to meet Zelenskyy 'at any location', including in Ukraine
Belarusian self-proclaimed president Aleksandr Lukashenko has stated that he is open to negotiations with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and is ready to meet him "at any location" for this purpose.
Source: Belarusian state-owned news agency Belta, citing Lukashenko
Details: Lukashenko stated that Belarus could allegedly be drawn into the war "in only one case" – if "aggression is committed against its territory". "We are not going to get drawn into the war in Ukraine. There is no necessity for this. Neither civil nor military," he said.
At the same time, Lukashenko stated that he is open to a conversation with Zelenskyy.
Quote: "If he (Zelenskyy – ed.) wants to discuss something, seek advice, or anything else, please; we are open to this. At any location – Ukraine or Belarus – I am ready to meet him and discuss the issues of Belarusian-Ukrainian relations. And possibly to talk about prospects. For some reason we have things to talk about with Americans, Germans, Poles, Lithuanians and Latvians, but with Ukraine there is nothing to talk about..."
Background:
- On 15 May, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, following a meeting with military leadership, intelligence and security services, reported that Ukraine continues to record Russia's attempts to draw Belarus further into the war against Ukraine and instructed the defence forces to present a response plan.
- Belarus's Ministry of Defence announced that exercises for units on the combat deployment of nuclear weapons began in Belarus on 18 May, conducted in coordination with Russian military forces.
- Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus and the joint nuclear exercises of the two dictatorships as an unprecedented challenge to the architecture of global security and called on international partners to respond firmly.
- In 2022, Russian forces entered Ukrainian territory in part from Belarusian territory. Missile strikes were also carried out from its territory.
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