'If Zelenskyy doesn't reach agreement with Putin, Ukraine will have to surrender': Belarus

In a big statement, the President of Belarus said that Ukraine will have to surrender against Russia. As reported by state-owned media, Alexander Lukashenko said that the situation of surrender will come soon if Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fails to reach an agreement with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Lukashenko counted on the speedy completion of the Russian special operation in Ukraine and the achievement of peace.

Ukraine launching missile towards Belarus amid fight with Russia 

The Belarusian President said that over the past week, two missile launches were carried out from Ukraine towards Belarus, in spite of the fight being with Russia. Lukashenko said that if Ukraine continues to escalate against Belarus, Minsk will not leave this unanswered.

It is pertinent to mention here that Belarus has been backing Russia against Ukraine. Belarus is a former Soviet republic of 9.4 million people that borders both Russia and Ukraine, as well as Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, and has spent nearly three decades balancing its ties to both Western powers and Russia. But the last presidential election marked a turning point that pushed Lukashenko closer toward Putin. After the elections, an unprecedented public uprising took place against the results. Putin offered financial and military support to help Lukashenko silence the protests — without any international response or pushback.

Lukashenko's wife sanctioned

Meanwhile, the US Treasury Department in its new package of sanctions targetted Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's wife, Halina, by adding her to the Treasury's Specially Designated Nationals List. "Today, Treasury is designating one more member of Lukashenko’s immediate family: Lukashenko’s wife Halina Radzivonawna Lukashenko (Halina), the US said in a statement, adding, "Lukashenko was designated today pursuant to E.O. 13405 for being a senior-level official who is responsible for or has engaged in public corruption related to Belarus." 

It is pertinent to mention here Lukashenko’s sons Dzmitry and Viktar Lukashenko were sanctioned on December 2, 2021, and June 16, 2006, respectively. Lukashenko was blocked pursuant to the same authority in June 2006 when President George W. Bush included him in the Annex to the order.

Image: AP