Why does Lukashenko Threaten Zelensky Over Ukrainian Attacks from Belarus?

Ukraine War: Lukashenko Claims Responsibility for Rocket Strikes, Warns Belarus‘ Fate

In a wide-ranging interview broadcast on YouTube late Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shared an intriguing revelation about his conversation with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko following the war’s initial days. According to Zelensky, Lukashenko took responsibility for the rocket strikes launched against Ukraine, blaming them on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Several days after the first day of the war, I spoke with Lukashenko on the phone, and he apologized," Zelensky recounted. "He said, ‘That wasn’t me. Rockets were fired from my territory, and it was Putin who gave the order.’ He even said, ‘I apologize, Volodja. Believe me, it wasn’t me. I can’t control it, it’s just the rockets, it’s Putin…’"

Interestingly, Lukashenko maintained a different stance in an interview with the state-run Belarusian news agency, Belta. He asserted that his regime had suggested a "compensatory strike" by Kyiv against the Mozyr oil refinery as a countermeasure for alleged Ukrainian "provocations".

Expressing puzzlement over Zelensky’s actions, Lukashenko remarked, "Why does Volodymyr Zelensky behave like this? We had good relations. Why is he now shouting? What does he need now? He is under orders. They won’t stop at anything to drag [Belarus] into the war."

The Belarusian strongman also issued a stark warning, stating that if Belarus were to become more deeply involved in the conflict, "God forbid, the country might not survive as a state." He added, "We must beware. Let them say that there is a dictatorship here or something else. Frankly, a dictatorship like the one in Belarus is better than the kind of democracy we see in Ukraine."