October 17, Pozirk. Belarus may lose half of its territory should Minsk be denied an invitation to participate in potential peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, Alaksandar Łukašenka has said as he met scientists and researchers in Minsk.
“They can make such decisions that tomorrow half of the country will have to be given away. They are drawing up whole schemes now,” he stressed, without specifying any further details. At the same time, the Belarusian ruler accused his exiled opponents of obstructing Minsk’s access to the negotiation process.
“I have always insisted, I told the Ukrainians, and I warned [Russian President Vladimir] Putin that Belarusians should be present at the negotiations on Ukraine. Why? Because this is our problem. I don’t want our problems to be solved there without us,” says a video posted by Pul Pervogo, his press office’s unofficial Telegram channel.
In February 2022, Russia started a full-scale war against Ukraine. Authorities in Minsk denied the Belarusian army’s involvement in combat operations but allowed Russian troops to attack Ukraine from Belarus on multiple occasions and persecuted Belarusians for antiwar positions.
