Zelenskyy on his conversation with Lukashenko: I explained to him that there mustn't be a clash between us

IRYNA BALACHUK - SUNDAY, 27 FEBRUARY 2022, 7:13 PM

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he had a long and substantive conversation with the self-proclaimed President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko. Zelenskyy explained to him that our nations mustn't clash.

Source: Zelenskyy's video call

I had a telephone conversation with Alexander Lukashenko. I had not spoken to him for two years, but today we had a very long talk on specific points. I explained to him in detail that our nations mustn't clash. I don't want missiles, military aircraft or helicopters to fly into Ukraine from Belarus. I don't want troops to enter Ukraine from Belarus.

Details: Zelenskyy added that Lukashenko "assured him of this".

What happened before the call:

• The President's office said that the self-proclaimed President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, had called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and they agreed that the Ukrainian delegation would meet with the Russian delegation at the Ukraine-Belarus border near the Pripyat River.
• Politicians agreed that the Ukrainian delegation will meet with the Russian delegation without preconditions. Lukashenko said he would be responsible for ensuring that all military aircraft, helicopters and missiles stationed on Belarusian territory would remain on the ground during the Ukrainian delegation's trip and their return home.
• Prior to this, Lukashenko had threatened Ukraine with a "special operation to protect [Belarus'] citizens".
•       The President's representative in the Constitutional Court, Fedor Venislavsky, said that talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations would begin in a few hours, as it's taking longer than expected for the Ukrainian delegation to reach the border.