Ukraine will end diplomatic ties with Belarus if its troops cross the border in favor of Russia’s illegal invasion, foreign minister Dmyktro Kuleba has said in an interview with Forbes magazine.
Dmyktro Kubela said to Forbes magazine that his country ended diplomatic relations with Russia after the beginning of their full-scale invasion in Ukraine – and that similar will happen to Belarus if they make the decision to cross the border.
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In the interview, he said “Belarus is an accomplice to the crime of aggression, there is no doubt about that. We broke off diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation immediately after the start of the full-scale attack. Relations with Belarus will likewise be severed if the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus cross the border of Ukraine.”
Diplomatic relations with Belarus are also being encouraged to end by Members of Parliament in Ukraine. This comes after a draft resolution was lodged in the Verkhovna Rada (5674). On President Zelensky’s website there is a related petition which reflects the concerns stressed by the parliament. The petition also urges Ukraine to end ties with Belarus, however it was only signed by 5000 people – far less than the necessary amount of 25,000 signatures.
Relations between Belarus and Ukraine have been worsening day by day since the beginning of the war, following Belarus providing strategic support to Russia. Russian troops invaded the Kyiv Oblast from an advanced position in Belarus, and Russian warplanes flew from its territory, with missiles also launched from the largely pro-Putin nation.
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Ultimately, the decisions of the country’s president, Alexander Lukashenko are critical to the ongoing events in the war as he is a well-known ally to President Putin. On Tuesday, July 12, Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko suggested that the war in Ukraine could turn into a deadly global conflict. When speaking at a ceremony for top military school graduates and Belarusian officials, he said we are entering “the abyss of a big war where there will be no winner”.
“The events that are unfolding around Belarus and Russia today require extreme vigilance and concentration,” Lukashenko added.
Lukashenko has also shown his support for Putin’s critical rhetoric against the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, (NATO). Particularly, he supported the Russian leader’s disapproval of Finland and Sweden’s decision to join the alliance, raising heavy concerns of Belarus possibly choosing to fight against Ukraine with Russia.
“The time has come for the forgetful Europe to give itself a moral cleansing,” Lukashenko said in July, hinting that the war could involve other countries, telling the State news agency Belta: “We are being provoked.”
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