Yaroslav Chornohor on Lukashenka's interview: We listen carefully, but absolutely do not trust his words
Yaroslav Chornohor, Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on Special Assignments, responsible for contacts with Belarusian democratic forces, stated in a comment to "Ukrinform" that Aleksandr Lukashenka's softening of rhetoric towards Ukraine is due to an understanding of the possible consequences for him personally and for the Belarusian regime.
Yaroslav Chornohor
According to Chornohor, Lukashenka received signals from Ukraine, including after Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's visit, Volodymyr Zelenskyy's interview, and statements by Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sybiha, regarding concerns about the strengthening of Russian influence in Belarus.
According to the diplomat, Lukashenka understood that his previous harsh rhetoric towards Ukraine could have serious consequences, which is why he tried to reduce tension and apologized for his sharp remarks about Zelenskyy.
At the same time, Chornohor noted that Kyiv has no reason to fully trust Lukashenka's statements about his unwillingness to participate in the war.
"We need to bear in mind that Belarus's independence is very limited by Russian influence. Perhaps Lukashenka personally has no plans to attack Ukraine. But if Putin says so, the Belarusian army will carry out these orders through its commanders. Therefore, we listen carefully, but absolutely do not trust his words," Yaroslav Chornohor warned.
He also stated that Ukraine has no intention of starting a war with Belarus, but will eliminate any threat if it originates from Belarusian territory.
"I don't think Lukashenka coordinates all the points of his interviews with the Kremlin. Perhaps at some moments, he is sincere in his unwillingness to fight, as he correctly named the risks: in case of any escalation, the war will spread to the territory of Belarus, and he will lose at least half of his economic potential, and considering modern military technologies – drones, missiles – there's no need to directly introduce troops to defeat Lukashenka's regime," the diplomat noted.
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