Belarusian Foreign Minister, Sergei Aleinik, recently stated in an interview that he cannot envision a scenario where Belarus would participate in the Ukrainian conflict alongside Russian forces. This statement comes despite Belarus having previously allowed its territory to be used for the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Aleinik expressed understanding of the Ukrainian psyche, emphasizing that the Ukrainian people neither desire nor require the ongoing “war of attrition”. Contradicting known facts, he asserted that Belarus has been a consistent advocate for peace in Ukraine and will continue to exert all possible efforts to realize it.
This is reported by Pravda in Ukraine.
Furthermore, Aleinik attributed the failure of the Ukrainian-Russian peace talks, which briefly occurred in Minsk at the onset of the Russian invasion in 2022, to Ukraine and other “indirectly involved” parties. He conveniently overlooked Belarus’s direct participation in the largest military conflict Europe has witnessed since World War II.
The regime of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has not only facilitated the invasion by allowing Russian troops to traverse through its territory but has also provided medical treatment to wounded Russian soldiers.
Additionally, Belarus offered its training grounds and infrastructure for the mobilization and training of troops.
Moreover, Lukashenko has actively undermined Ukraine’s sovereignty. He officially recognized the separatist entities of the Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics and endorsed the illegal annexation of Crimea.
This recognition extends to engaging with Denis Pushilin, the leader of the Donetsk People’s Republic, further compromising the integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.
In his statements, Aleinik seems to be attempting to distance Belarus from the conflict while simultaneously engaging in actions that suggest otherwise.
