“I am ready to meet anywhere – in Ukraine, in Belarus – and discuss the problems of Belarusian-Ukrainian relations,” Lukashenko said.
He denied any plans to drag his country into war, unless “aggression is committed against (Belarusian) territory”.
The Ukrainian president said Thursday that Kiev was ready to take “preventive” measures against Russia and the Belarusian leadership because of potential military threats to northern Ukraine amid joint nuclear exercises between Russia and Belarus and the ensuing escalation with NATO members over drone incursions in the Baltic region.
“The de facto leadership of Belarus should keep its ear to the ground and clearly understand that there will be consequences in case of aggressive actions against Ukraine, against our people,” Zelensky said during a visit to Slavutich, a town about 50 kilometers from the Belarusian border.
Kiev rejected Lukashenko’s proposal.
“From 2022, it is obvious to everyone that there is no faith in this man’s words, and we should pay attention to his actions,” Zelensky’s adviser Dmitry Litvin told reporters.
