Zelensky warns Lukashenko ‘will pay’ for everything
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has issued one of his strongest rebukes yet toward Belarus, saying that self-proclaimed President Alexander Lukashenko “will pay” for allowing Russian forces to invade Ukraine from Belarusian territory in February 2022.
Speaking at a press briefing in Kyiv, Zelensky rejected Lukashenko’s recent attempts to appear sympathetic toward Ukrainians, calling his newfound “kindness” hypocritical, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
“Lukashenko should not forget. Now he has become very talkative in the media and tries to show how kind he is to our people. We did not need his kindness at four in the morning when the rockets arrived,” Zelensky said.
He stressed that Ukrainians vividly remember the start of the full-scale war, which began with Russian missiles and troops entering Ukraine from Belarus.
“If he thinks he can talk away our memory… We are young people, we remember everything very well. And he will still pay for what he has done – for allowing the attack from his territory,” Zelensky declared.
The president emphasized that Belarus cannot be considered a neutral venue for negotiations with Moscow, as Minsk was complicit in Russia’s aggression.
“The start of the full-scale war came at us from Belarus. Nobody will forget this,” he said.
Zelensky’s remarks came a day after Lukashenko claimed to “feel compassion” for Ukrainians and invited them to come work in Belarus, promising they would be treated like Belarusian citizens.
“Come, Ukrainians! We will gladly accept you… Your families and children will have the same life as Belarusians,” Lukashenko said on Thursday, describing Ukrainians as “hard-working people” who “speak the same language.”
Zelensky dismissed the overture, saying such statements could not erase Minsk’s direct role in enabling the Kremlin’s invasion.
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