Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told the BBC that Russian leader Vladimir Putin regrets the losses suffered by the parties in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, but is firmly convinced that he is right.
"In this conflict there are different situations, someone attacks, another defends. Both sides suffer heavy losses. Does Putin regret this or not? Of course he's sorry, he's a living man. But I am absolutely convinced of this, and rest assured, I am not just convinced, I know it: Putin firmly believes that he is right, and motivates him. He proposed to the West: here is Russia's proposal, let's come to an agreement. To which the West did not respond at all, Lukashenko said in an interview with BBC journalist Steven Rosenberg on the sidelines of the BRICS meeting in Kazan.
Regarding allegations that North Korea has sent troops to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine, Lukashenko responded:
„Nonsense. Knowing his character, Putin would never try to convince another country to include its army in Russia's special operation in Ukraine.“
„It would be a step towards escalation of the conflict if the armed forces of any country, even Belarus, are on the contact line”, answered Alexander Lukashenko.
„You Anglo-Saxons would immediately say that another country got involved on one side... so NATO troops will be deployed in Ukraine.
„Neither Putin, nor Sergei Shoigu, nor the current Minister of Defense Andrey Belousov asked us to send our troops to their aid. How do you know that I gave permission to use Belarusian territory? Exercises were held with the participation of several thousand Russian soldiers. Putin began pulling these troops from where they were in southern Belarus, down the road, along the border with Ukraine. At one point he diverted some of these troops to Kyiv. I'm sure they were provoked. It is up to Putin how he withdraws his troops. Through Kyiv. Or he could go through Minsk. These are his troops and he has the right to move them as he wishes," Lukashenko said.
„Putin will never use the weapons located in Belarus without the consent of the Belarusian president, Lukashenko said.
„I am fully prepared to use nuclear weapons, otherwise why do I have them? But only if the boot of a foreign soldier sets foot in Belarus. We have no plans to attack anyone.”
„We released political prisoners for humanitarian reasons,”, he says. “They were mostly old people and sick. That's all. This is not a step towards improving relations with you. If you don't want a relationship with us, fine. We will get by without you”