Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told Al Arabiya on June 15 that Russia and Ukraine must find a compromise to end the war that has lasted more than four years [1, 2, 3, 4]. "Today, we need to use any steps to reach a peaceful agreement through compromises. For the long term," Lukashenko said [1].
Lukashenko said that despite Russian forces advancing step-by-step on the battlefield, victory is unrealistic for both sides. "If they realise on both sides … you can’t go further, otherwise there will be escalation and an even worse situation … If this sinks into the minds of the fighters and their supporters, it means a compromise can be reached," he added [1, 2, 3].
He emphasized that Belarusian forces would not be deployed in Ukraine and that Ukraine has "absolutely nothing to fear" from Belarus. "Absolutely nothing to fear. Absolutely. They know it, the soldiers know it. The people of Ukraine know it," Lukashenko said [1, 3, 4].
Belarus allowed Russia to use its territory for the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and has permitted Moscow to deploy nuclear weapons on its soil [1, 2, 3]. Lukashenko noted that both Russia and Ukraine face troop shortages and claimed a military solution is impossible in Ukraine and other conflicts in the Middle East as well [1, 3].
He said he discussed with Russian President Vladimir Putin the need to prevent the Ukraine war from spreading into Belarus. Lukashenko warned that Belarusian military and logistical infrastructure would be vulnerable if Ukraine attacked Belarus as it attacks Russia, calling Belarus "like the apple of Ukrainian military's eye" [4]. Ukraine has identified about 500 targets in Belarus, according to Lukashenko [4].
Lukashenko's comments on June 15 came amid ongoing conflict that began more than four years ago [1, 2, 3]. His statement stresses the need for a negotiated settlement after years of fighting and a complex regional security situation.
