“The War Will Be Completely Different.”

Alexander Lukashenko said he had recently met with representatives of Volodymyr Zelensky and warned them about the consequences of attempts to draw Belarus into the war.

According to Lukashenko, the meeting took place “at this very spot,” where he was speaking during a conversation with Moscow region governor Andrey Vorobyov.

“I told them directly: ‘Guys, tell your president: if he thinks he can talk to us like this and also drag us into the war, then he must understand that the quality of the war will change instantly. This war will be completely different,’” Lukashenko said.

He added that, according to him, he received the answer that Zelensky and his representatives “understand this.”

Lukashenko also said he does not want Belarus to be drawn into the war against Ukraine, but stressed that Minsk will stand with Moscow in any situation.

“We likewise do not want to fight the Ukrainians. That is why our position is peaceful. But in any situation, we will stand with Russia. It cannot be otherwise,” he said.

According to Lukashenko, Belarus understands that Western countries stand behind Ukraine and supports negotiations “on the substance.”

“We do not need war. We have enough land, enough of our economy and enough problems. So no confrontation,” he said.

At the same time, Lukashenko stressed that peace is possible only with guarantees that Belarus and Russia “cannot be deceived.” He also called Ukraine “a bargaining chip in a big game,” saying that the matter is “not really about this state at all.”