Belarus “does not need war,” its president, Moscow-ally Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday, just days after his country created a joint military force with Russia, raising fears of a direct intervention in the conflict in Ukraine.
”Today, we have no intention of going anywhere," Lukashenko said during a visit to a military training centre in western Belarus. "There is no war at this stage. We don’t need it.”
During his visit to the west of the country, Lukashenko (68) was able to see drones made in Belarus, according to images broadcast on television. However, the Belarusian leader said he had no intention at this stage of using them against his Ukrainian neighbour.
“It is not desirable that these models fight in Ukraine,” he said, adding that Belarus would sell the drones “to those who wish to buy them."
Belarus, an ally of Russia, served as a rear base for Russian troops in their offensive against Ukraine in late February, but the Belarusian army has not taken part in the fighting on Ukrainian territory so far. Minsk has also claimed that the joint military force launched with Moscow in recent days has only a defensive purpose.
Kyiv has repeatedly warned Minsk about the retaliation that would result from sending Belarusian troops to Ukraine.
