Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has issued an apology to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for his earlier remarks, reiterating that Belarus will not launch an attack against Ukraine. In an interview with Al Arabiya aired on June 15, Lukashenko acknowledged that his comments may have been excessive.
“Perhaps I overstepped, but it was a response to his inappropriate statements: ‘Yes, we have 500 targets, yes, we know where Lukashenko is. Tomorrow we will strike with missiles and drones.’ I remained silent. Even everyone was surprised that I was quiet. I understood that the person was under significant pressure, a young and inexperienced individual. Perhaps something did not click in his head. But when I began to receive threats, I had to respond. If Volodymyr Oleksandrovich was offended, I apologize for those words. Perhaps this was unnecessary, considering he is at war. Maybe I should not have spoken so sharply,” Lukashenko stated.
He also admitted that Belarus is vulnerable militarily if Ukraine were to attack in a manner similar to its operations against Russia. Lukashenko emphasized that Belarusian military positions are easily identifiable to Ukrainian forces, which is one reason for the country’s reluctance to engage in conflict.
“We fully understand that our critical infrastructure—production and logistics—would be targeted. They have already identified 500 such targets on Belarusian territory,” he added.
Lukashenko reassured the Ukrainian public and military that there is no threat from Belarus, asserting that such a conflict would not benefit anyone. However, he has previously supported Russian military actions, and Belarus has been used as a staging ground for attacks against Ukraine.
Ukrainian military officials have indicated that they have identified 500 targets in Belarus should it enter the conflict. In response, Lukashenko had threatened to strike a “very serious” target in Ukraine, implying that Zelensky was not entirely composed in his statements.
From May 19 to May 21, Russia and its ally Belarus conducted nuclear drills amid escalating drone attacks on Russian territory. Belarus, which borders NATO’s eastern flank, is also home to the “Oreshnik,” a new Russian missile system capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
On May 19, Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi remarked on the potential threat from Belarus, stating that “possible operations in the north are real.” Following these comments, Lukashenko insisted that Minsk would not be drawn into the war against Ukraine, provided there is no aggression against Belarusian territory.
While Belarus has not directly participated in the conflict, it allowed Russian troops to use its territory for operations against Ukraine in February 2022, contributing to the ongoing hostilities.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has apologized to Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky for his previous remarks, affirming that Belarus will not attack Ukraine. He acknowledged Belarus's military vulnerabilities and reiterated that the country does not seek involvement in the conflict, despite previous support for Russian military actions.