Lukashenko Threatens to Join Russia's War Against Ukraine, While Erdogan Offers to Mediate Between Moscow and Kyiv

The Office of the President has already reacted positively to the Turkish leader's proposal and said that if Russia refuses, it will show Russia's lack of confidence.

Self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko threatens to take part in a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has offered to mediate between Russia and Ukraine to de-escalate the conflict.

The Office of the President of Ukraine welcomed the initiative of the Turkish leader and said that if the Russian leadership refuses, it will show its lack of confidence. 

«If war is reignited in Donbas»: Lukashenko's threats in his own style

Lukashenko said at a meeting of Belarusian security officials that if Moscow decides on a new military operation against Ukraine, it will notify the Belarusian army of its plans.

In the event of an escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in Donbas or incidents on the border with Russia, Minsk will provide support to Russians.

According to the self-proclaimed president, official Kyiv knows Minsk's position, and that is precisely why the Ukrainian state is strengthening its northern borders.

Alexander Lukashenko
unrecognized president of Belarus

They fully understand: if they again start a war in Donbas or somewhere on the border with Russia, Belarus will not remain on the sidelines. And it is clear whose side Belarus will be on. They understand this, so they have begun reinforcing their northern, Belarusian-Ukrainian border.

At the same time, he insists that there is supposedly no data on Russia preparing an offensive against Ukraine, and that the thesis about a possible attack on Ukraine was invented by certain «enemies of Russia».

«I have no such information about Russia's planned attack on Ukraine. But if such plans existed, the Belarusian military, and I in particular, would know about it. We would be informed», Lukashenko said.

Erdogan's Mediation

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is ready to act as a mediator between the authorities of Ukraine and Russia.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan
President of Turkey

Our position on the situation in Ukraine is well known. Turkey supports ensuring peace with an emphasis on the situation of the Crimean Tatars. We have repeatedly discussed this issue with friendly Russia. Contacts are ongoing. We hope the region will not turn into a combat zone and that peace will prevail. Ankara supports positive developments. Turkey is ready for mediation. It is ready to discuss this issue with the parties.

According to the Turkish leader, Ankara has established contacts with both the Ukrainian side and Russian President Vladimir Putin for this purpose.

Erdogan also said that Ankara is ready to take steps to normalize relations with Egypt and Israel, as was done in the case of the UAE.

Reaction from the Office of the President

The Office of President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that the Turkish president's mediation in relations between the authorities of Ukraine and Russia could resolve humanitarian issues in temporarily occupied territories, and if Russia refuses, this will indicate a lack of self-confidence in the face of a strong rival, adviser to the head of the Office of the President Mykhailo Podolyak told Ukrainska Pravda.

Mykhailo Podolyak
adviser to the head of the Office of the President

In such a triangle, all sides understand with maximum accuracy how fragile the situation in our region is… If the Russian side rejects Turkey's proposal to mediate, this will only further confirm that the Russian side does not feel confident when dealing with such truly powerful political actors as the Turkish side.

According to Podolyak, trusting relations have been established between the presidents of Ukraine and Turkey, Volodymyr Zelensky and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Turkey is an extremely promising partner for Ukraine.

He called Erdogan an «effective arbiter» who can help resolve issues of protecting people's rights in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and releasing detained persons, in particular Crimean Tatars.

He suggested that overall progress toward peace is also possible with such a mediator as the president of Turkey.

The adviser to the head of the Office of the President added that Turkey's strength as a mediator lies in its full knowledge of all the details, its precise understanding of regional interests, its ability to take into account the needs of different societies in the region, and its understanding of the psychological basis of such possible contacts.