Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 28 March (BelTA) – The possibility of Belarusian troops invading Ukraine is absolute nonsense. The statement was made by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko in an interview for the Ukrainian TV show Shuster Live on 26 March, BelTA has learned.

“The Ukrainian authorities had some concerns that at Ukraine’s northern border or the Belarusian-Ukrainian border Lukashenko amassed troops and is ready to invade Ukraine from the north and go right up to Kiev while Putin is allegedly ready to invade from the southeast. Such plans have never existed! We didn’t amass any troops except troops to beef up the border security. We had concerns about contraband, the infiltration of some elements into Belarus, this is why we had to close the border more tightly and the Ukrainian border service was informed about it,” said the President.

“I will never move tanks into Kiev! It is total nonsense!” stressed Alexander Lukashenko. “We were even forced — the minister of foreign affairs told me — to explain to the Ukrainian authorities that it will never happen. It is likely they checked facts later on and recognized the fact that they had gone overboard with their concerns”.

“And we had an official request for clarification. I told them: god forbid, I can move tractors with ploughs into Ukraine to help the western oblasts with sowing and harvesting the way I do all the time. We have perfect relations with them even now. People have lives to live. Once we finish our harvesting campaign, we lend spare machines to Ukraine,” noted the Belarusian leader.

“The same is true for Bryansk Oblast, Pskov Oblast, Smolensk Oblast, hundreds of kilometers, we help them in agriculture, too. Like I say it is a good neighborhood belt around Belarus,” stressed Alexander Lukashenko. “This is why I gave instructions about 15 years ago to help the neighbors however hard it may be. And we do it right up to Kiev Oblast”.