Lukashenko Says He Is Ready to Meet Zelensky ‘Anywhere’ in Ukraine or Belarus

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said he is ready to hold direct talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “at any point” in Ukraine or Belarus.

According to comments published by Belarusian state news agency Belta, Lukashenko said Belarus does not intend to become directly involved in Russia’s war against Ukraine unless Belarusian territory comes under attack.

“We are not going to get involved in the war in Ukraine,” Lukashenko said. “There is no need for this, neither from a civilian nor a military point of view.”

At the same time, he said Minsk remains open to communication with Kyiv despite the ongoing war and frozen diplomatic relations between the two countries.

“If he wants to talk about something, consult or anything else, we are open to it,” Lukashenko said, referring to Zelensky.

“At any point, in Ukraine or Belarus, I am ready to meet him and discuss the problems of Belarusian-Ukrainian relations.”

Lukashenko also questioned why Belarus continues maintaining dialogue with Western countries while communication with Ukraine remains limited.

“For some reason, we have things to discuss with Americans, Germans, Poles, Lithuanians and Latvians, but not with Ukraine,” he said.

Belarus allowed Russian troops to use its territory as a staging ground during the early phase of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, including during the failed Russian offensive toward Kyiv. Since then, Minsk has remained one of Russia’s closest allies while officially denying plans for direct participation in the war.

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EU’s Kallas Rebukes Russian ‘Oreshnik’ Strike as Reckless Risk of Nuclear War

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas publicly rebuked Russia’s early morning deployment of an RS-26 “Oreshnik” medium-range ballistic missile against the city of Bila Tserkva, characterizing the strike as a reckless gamble that invites the risk of nuclear war. Kallas stated that Moscow’s reliance on nuclear-capable delivery platforms to terrorize urban centers reveals a battlefield deadlock, framing the operation as a deliberate tactic of political intimidation aimed at causing maximum civilian casualties.

Concerns over threat from Belarus

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) and other Defense Forces units launched enhanced security measures in northern regions bordering Russia and Belarus

The General Staff described the operation as “unprecedented” in scale, citing the number of personnel and resources deployed along the border.

Following this, Belarus’s defense ministry said on Monday that it had launched exercises with Russian participation, including drills involving units tasked with the use of nuclear weapons and support operations.

On Friday, Zelensky reported that Ukrainian intelligence has evidence that Russia is attempting to draw Belarus more directly into the war.

According to him, Russia is considering operational plans involving the deployment of forces from Belarusian territory toward the Chernihiv-Kyiv axis.

He said Kyiv had identified contacts between Russian officials and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko regarding possible new military actions.

“For every possible enemy scenario, we are preparing responses if the Russians truly decide to expand their aggression,” Zelensky said.