Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha during an informal meeting of the Ukraine–NATO Council at the level of foreign ministers, which took place on May 21 in Helsingborg, Sweden, detailed to Alliance allies the growing risks posed by Belarus.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Escalation of Threats and Call to Action
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sybiha emphasized the need for decisive action from partners to deter and prevent the expansion of aggressive actions by Moscow and Minsk. He highlighted that NATO countries are in a critical phase of the war, and pressure on the Russian Federation is only increasing.
The minister stressed that Ukraine is no longer just a beggar for help but has become a significant security donor for the Alliance, sharing its own experience and expertise with allies.
“Ukraine is holding the defense, and Russia’s numerical superiority is no longer a decisive factor. To achieve peace, we must focus on three key elements: diplomacy, pressure, and strength. A new impetus is needed for peace efforts while simultaneously strengthening our special long-range sanctions and other levers of influence.”
Response from the Authorities of Ukraine and Belarus
Last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Kyiv is recording attempts by Moscow to involve Belarus in the war against Ukraine. According to him, there have been additional contacts between representatives of the Russian Federation and Alexander Lukashenko aimed at convincing Minsk to join new aggressive operations. Ukraine possesses details of these negotiations.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi also noted that the risk of conducting operations in the north of the country is quite real.
In response to these statements, Alexander Lukashenko declared that Minsk would not be drawn into the war against Ukraine unless there is aggression against Belarusian territory. Meanwhile, Lukashenko’s regime regularly conducts military exercises and gatherings, accompanied by a deterioration in relations with the West and support for the Kremlin in the war against Ukraine.
Although Belarus officially does not directly participate in hostilities against Ukraine, in February 2022, the country’s authorities provided territory for the movement and deployment of Russian troops, and strikes were also carried out on Ukrainian infrastructure from its territory.