“It is indicated that this meeting will have “negative consequences for Ukrainian-Belarusian relations””, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
“Ukraine rejects Oleksandr Lukashenko’s hypocritical rhetoric regarding the “principles” of cooperation with the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and considers it yet another evidence of support for the war of aggression against our country,” the foreign policy department emphasizes.
It is indicated that this meeting cannot remain without a proper response and will have “negative consequences for Ukrainian-Belarusian relations.”
“We call on the Belarusian people to realize that against the background of repeated contacts of Belarusian officials with Russian puppets from our temporarily occupied territories, Oleksandr Lukashenko’s constant statements about his “warm feelings” for the “brotherly Ukrainian people” sound like a mockery, and his practical actions destroy the principles of good neighborliness and of mutual respect, on which relations between the Ukrainian and Belarusian peoples were built,” the MFA added.
On September 19, Oleksandr Lukashenko met with the leader of the “DPR” group, Denys Pushylin. During the meeting, Lukashenko declared his readiness to develop cooperation with the Ukrainian region occupied by Russia.
The Ministry of Defense of Belarus announced on August 11 that it is allegedly “sending additional military equipment to the regions bordering Ukraine.” The spokesman of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Andriy Demchenko, called the statement of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus regarding the “strengthening” of the border with Ukraine “an incitement to continue to play along with Russia.”
Oleksandr Lukashenko supported a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 and allowed the use of the territory, military infrastructure and airspace of Belarus for the invasion of the Russian army and shelling of Ukrainian cities, which killed tens of thousands of peaceful Ukrainians.