‘We are preparing for war,’ Belarusian President Lukashenko says

Belarus President Lukashenko offers Belarusian territory for potential Russian attack on Ukraine, vows Belarus will join conflict if Ukraine displays aggression

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced during a working trip to the city of Grodno on Tuesday that Belarus is actively preparing for war.

“Trust no one who claims we desire war. We are preparing for war, and I speak candidly about it. ‘If you want peace, prepare for war’ – I didn’t invent that. It’s a very accurate statement,” the president said. 

The Belarusian government is also conducting a comprehensive check of its military’s readiness for war, the country’s defense ministry announced on Telegram on Monday.

According to Lukashenko, Belarus is “training military units to the best of their abilities” and providing its troops with “various weapons and equipment.”

“If unfriendly countries want to whine and criticize us, just know: we’re doing the right thing. If they started praising us, that would be bad news,” Lukashenko added. 

The European Union holds Lukashenko responsible for providing ammunition and equipment to Russian troops supporting Russia’s involvement in Ukraine, resulting in sanctions against Belarus.

Belarus remains one of Russia’s most important allies

There are claims that Russia aims to turn Belarus into a frontline country and advance toward Kyiv, starting from Belarus’ border.

In February 2022, Russia carried out airstrikes on Kyiv using aircraft stationed in Belarus, and Lukashenko allowed Russia to use his country as a staging ground for the invasion. Experts suggest that in the coming days, Russia will attempt to turn Belarus into a frontline country.

Lukashenko’s statements were interpreted as Minsk being receptive to Moscow’s demands.