MINSK, 18 December (BelTA) – While answering questions following his Address to the Belarusian people and Parliament on 18 December, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko explained why continuation and escalation of the conflict in Ukraine is disadvantageous for Belarus, BelTA has learned.
It was noted that some media outlets (primarily Western ones) have been promoting the view that ending the conflict in Ukraine is not in Belarus’ interest, nor in the interest of the Belarusian head of the state. Similar insinuations have also been directed at Belarus’s military and political leadership.
When asked about this issue, Aleksandr Lukashenko shared an insider detail. Quite recently, Ukrainians warned the Belarusian side through certain intelligence channels that a drone had entered Belarusian territory. The Ukrainians suggested shooting down this UAV. The president cautioned that such an action would have serious consequences.
"Russian drones fly into our territory influenced by electronic warfare systems), some fall, some fly to the west of Ukraine. The Ukrainians see this and it is not a problem. They warned us: ‘Tell the president that we will shoot down drones on your territory.’ Tertel [Chairman of the KGB General Ivan Tertel] reported that to me. I said: ‘Please tell them that this will have far-reaching consequences.’ What does it mean to shoot down drones on our territory?" Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
At the same time, the head of state noted that Ukrainian drones also enter Belarus. "Some Ukrainian [drones] flew to us through Poland, Lithuania or Latvia. It's normal for a Russian drone to fly in, overwhelmed by electronic warfare equipment, and for a Ukrainian drone to do so. We told them: ‘Guys, not only Russian drones, but also Ukrainian ones are flying over us’," the head of state stressed.
"I am saying this to make sure you understand what could happen. Do the Ukrainian military realize that any flying drone under the influence of electronic warfare systems can change direction? Therefore, you [Ukrainian military] should not do this, because you will force us to respond. Our special services conveyed my message. Then they asked for more information. I provided them with the facts. And then there was silence. They seemed to understand," Aleksandr Lukashenko added.
The head of state expressed his deep concern about the continuation and, in particular, the escalation of the current conflict: "If the escalation of the conflict continues, we will again become a battlefield, as it was during the First and Second World Wars, when we suffered immense destruction. I don't want this to happen again, because I know how it will end. Therefore, if you think about it, then escalation is not beneficial for me in any way. It is not beneficial to you, Belarusians, either. This is completely absurd, if we look at it from the perspective of what is beneficial and what is not."
Speaking about the possible consequences of escalation for Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko drew attention to the fact that Ukrainians could attack Belarus earlier to protect their northern borders. "I had to work hard with the military to prevent this from happening. They then thought we could attack them and brought more than 150,000 soldiers to the northern border, which was more than our army. And you remember, I even declared mobilization in some regions in the west [of Belarus] at one point. And I brought special operations forces to the border, in addition to border guards, to prevent this clash from happening. They [Ukrainians] saw that we had professional soldiers there. And, God forbid, we would have to fight on our own soil. That is why there must be no pre-emptive strike," he said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that he takes a peace-loving position, and Belarus, on the contrary, benefits from the end of this conflict. "Only a peaceful solution to the Ukrainian issue is good for us. Ukraine will not do without us either. Putin and I often talk about this: no Americans, no Europeans will work in Ukraine without benefiting greatly from it. We will help Ukraine rebuild, perhaps for a fee in some cases, but we will assist them nonetheless – these are our people. We will find work there. And if there is work there, it means that the economy will work. If you take a too pragmatic approach to this," he concluded.
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