Lukashenko: The operation is taking a very long time and we are trying to end it. Belarus does not threaten anyone – HNonline.sk

Belarusian authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko defended Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Thursday and said he was doing “everything” to stop the war. He said in a personal, almost 90-minute interview for the AP news agency in the Independence Palace in the metropolis of Minsk. The Belarusian leader admitted that he did not expect that Russia’s “operation” in Ukraine would drag on for so long. “But I am not immersed enough in this problem to be able to say whether it is going according to plan, as the Russians claim, or as I perceive it. I want to emphasize once again that I feel that this operation is dragging on,” he said. Lukashenko accused Ukraine of “provoking Russia” and insisted that Belarus be a supporter of peace. “We categorically disagree with any war. We have done and are still doing everything we can to ensure that there is no war. Thanks to you (the West) and me, negotiations have begun between Ukraine and Russia,” he said. “But why Ukraine, on whose territory there is war, military action is actually taking place and people are dying – why Ukraine is not interested in these negotiations?” asked the Belarusian president. Russia sent its armed forces to Belarusian territory under the pretext of military exercises and then sent them to Ukraine as part of an invasion that began on February 24. Lukashenko has publicly backed the operation, saying at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in early March that Ukraine plans to attack Belarus – and that Moscow’s offensive prevented, according to Lukashenko. The Belarusian leader also told the AP that he brought a map to the meeting with Putin, showing him where the alleged (Ukrainian) attack was supposed to come from, but did not mention other evidence to support his claim, the AP writes. Earlier this week, the Belarusian army unexpectedly launched a military exercise that raised concerns in Ukraine. However, Lukashenko assured the AP on Thursday that these maneuvers do not endanger anyone. “We are not threatening anyone and we are not going to threaten anyone. Besides, we cannot threaten anyone – we know who is against us – because unleashing some kind of conflict, some kind of war here in the West is definitely not in the interests of the Belarusian state. So the West can sleep peacefully, “Lukashenko added to the AP.