In the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, an unexpected conversation took place. Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed leader of Belarus, actually apologized for the missiles fired from his country. In an interview with Lex Fridman, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed the details of this surprising exchange.
Zelenskyy shared that during those tense initial days of the war, he spoke on the phone with Lukashenko. The Belarusian leader claimed that the missile strikes launched from Belarus weren’t his decision. Instead, he blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin, insisting that it was Putin’s orders, not his own.
“He told me, ‘It wasn’t me, Volodya, it was Putin who launched the missiles from my territory. Believe me, I told him not to,’” Zelenskyy recounted, adding that he had witnesses to back this up.
However, Zelenskyy didn’t hold back in his response. He told Lukashenko straight up that he considered him just as guilty as Putin for the violence. Lukashenko, despite his apology, made no excuses for his continued support of Russia’s actions in the war.
In fact, during their conversation, Lukashenko suggested something unsettling. He told Zelenskyy, “You can’t fight with the Russians. Maybe you should hit an oil refinery—it means a lot to me.” Zelenskyy couldn’t believe what he was hearing and responded with confusion, asking, “What are you talking about?”
Lukashenko’s words make it clear that he’s firmly aligned with Russia in this conflict. He’s provided his country’s land as a base for Russian troops to launch attacks on Ukraine. Lukashenko has repeatedly called the invasion a “special military operation” and fully justified Russia’s actions.
And it doesn’t stop there. Recent reports reveal that Lukashenko has asked Putin to deploy a new missile system in Belarus. While Belarusian troops haven’t directly participated in the fighting on Ukrainian soil, Lukashenko’s support for Russia remains undeniable.
In short, this conversation paints a clear picture of the complicated and troubling relationship between Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia.