Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, in an interview with the Al Arabiya TV channel, commented on his recent sharp remarks directed at Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. The Belarusian head of state admitted that he might have "gone too far" and formally apologized for his words, though he immediately added that his reaction was forced.
Response to threats
According to Lukashenko, his tough rhetoric was a response to direct threats from Kyiv. The Belarusian leader recalled that he had remained silent earlier, despite the surprise of those around him, understanding that Zelensky was under colossal pressure. However, the situation changed when the Ukrainian president began talking about plans to strike 500 targets on Belarusian territory.
"I understood: the man is under such pressure, young, inexperienced, not a military man. But when they started threatening me — I was forced to respond," Lukashenko explained.
Conditional apology
Lukashenko admitted that his words might have been overly emotional, given that Zelensky is in a state of war. "If Volodymyr Oleksandrovych was offended — I apologize to him for these words. Maybe I shouldn't have said them," he stated. At the same time, the Belarusian leader immediately added a piece of folk wisdom: "As they sing, so they are buried" (a proverb meaning one reaps what one sows).
Lukashenko's main message was that Zelensky should "calm down" and take it as a given that Minsk has no plans to start military actions. The President of Belarus called for not provoking him and the Belarusian people, noting that both sides desire peace.
Conflict context
Tensions in the dialogue between the leaders of the two countries arose against the backdrop of mutual accusations. Earlier, Robert "Madjar" Brovdi, commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Unmanned Systems Forces, responded sharply to Lukashenko, confirming that Ukrainian military personnel had already identified the first 500 targets on Belarusian territory. In response, the Belarusian leader threatened a strike on a "very serious" target in Ukraine.
Lukashenko also recalled that back in 2022, he had offered Zelensky paths to peace. "If he had listened to me back then — there would be no talk today about where to stop," he summarized.
Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky outlined five scenarios for Russia to expand the war in the north, including the involvement of Belarus. Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) currently see no signs of a ground invasion from Belarusian territory, but note the possibility of Russia using Belarus for strikes on western regions of Ukraine.