Lukashenko tells BBC whether he allowed Russia to attack Ukraine
25 October 2024 17:11
Alexander Lukashenko, the leader of Belarus, met with journalists on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan (Russia) and denied the information that he had provided Belarusian troops for the Russian war in Ukraine. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the BBC.
“How do you know that I gave permission to use Belarusian territory? Several thousand Russian soldiers were training there. Putin began to withdraw these troops from where they were in southern Belarus. At some point, he redirected some of these troops to Kyiv. I am sure that they were provoked,” Lukashenka said when asked by a reporter whether he had given Putin permission to start a war with Ukraine from the territory of Belarus.
In addition, in a conversation with a journalist, Lukashenka rejected claims that North Korea had sent troops to support Russia in the war in Ukraine.
“Nonsense. Knowing his character, Putin would never persuade another country to involve its army in a Russian special operation (war – ed.) in Ukraine,” Lukashenka said.
The Belarusian leader also claims that Vladimir Putin did not ask him to use Belarusian troops in the conflict. But the fact remains that Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine from the territory of Belarus.
When asked by a journalist about Russia’s deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus, Lukashenka claims that Putin is not going to use them without his consent. At the same time, he notes that he is ready to use nuclear weapons if the territory of Belarus is invaded by foreigners.
