Alexander Lukashenko says Belarus will join Russia in war if attacked

Few radical cognize Vladimir Putin rather arsenic good arsenic Alexander Lukashenko does.

The authoritarian person of Belarus is simply a steadfast Kremlin state and backer of what Mr Putin refers to arsenic the "special subject operation" - what astir of the satellite calls Russia's warfare successful Ukraine.

Since his full-scale penetration of Ukraine a twelvemonth ago, Mr Putin hasn't sat down with Western journalists.

But contiguous successful Minsk, Mr Lukashenko took questions from a tiny radical of overseas media, including the BBC.

"Last twelvemonth you allowed your state to beryllium utilized arsenic a staging crushed for Russia's invasion," I reminded Mr Lukashenko. "Are you prepared to bash truthful again?"

"Yes, I'm ready," helium replied. "I'm acceptable to supply [territory] again. I'm besides acceptable to wage war, alongside the Russians, from the territory of Belarus. But lone if idiosyncratic - adjacent a azygous worker - enters our territory from determination (Ukraine) with weapons to termination my people."

Military co-operation betwixt Russia and Belarus has been connected the increase, with associated drills and the enactment of a associated subject grouping. But truthful acold the Belarusian person has avoided sending his troops into Ukraine to combat alongside Russian forces.

The UK, EU and the United States bash not recognise Alexander Lukashenko arsenic the morganatic president of Belarus. In 2020 Belarusians poured connected to the streets to impeach him of stealing the country's statesmanlike election. The protests were brutally suppressed.

Mr Lukashenko utilized Thursday's lawsuit to blasted the West for the warfare successful Ukraine.

He accused Western governments of fuelling the struggle and engaged successful a interaction of Putinesque atomic sabre-rattling,

"If you proceed this escalation, you volition get atomic weapons and Russia has much than anyone," helium said.

"So, you should halt this. If a atomic warfare starts, Belarus volition cease to exist. We request to beryllium down astatine the negotiating table, due to the fact that atomic warfare volition hitch retired the USA too. No-one needs this."

Having facilitated the Russian penetration of Ukraine 1 twelvemonth ago, the Belarusian person present claims helium tin assistance negociate peace.

Mr Lukashenko suggested that adjacent week would beryllium a bully clip to start, with US President Joe Biden owed to sojourn Poland.

"I invitation [President Biden] to Belarus," Mr Lukashenko said. "It's not acold from Warsaw, Thirty minutes and he'll beryllium successful Minsk. He could onshore his level here. I volition transportation the president of Russia to come. I invitation him excessively to Minsk, arsenic good arsenic Biden. We volition beryllium down and scope an agreement."

It is an invitation the US president is apt to decline. In this warfare Mr Lukashenko is not seen arsenic an honorable broker.