Zelensky trying to embroil entire Europe into armed conflict — Belarusian diplomat

Lead

A senior Belarusian lawmaker has accused Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky of attempting to embroil Belarus and the whole of Europe in a military conflict, according to a statement carried by TASS. The accusation came amid heightened tensions along the Belarusian-Ukrainian border and follows recent threats by Zelensky against Belarus.

Coverage comparison

TASS, the Russian state news agency, reported the statements from Belarusian officials in a series of articles. The first report quoted Oleg Gaidukevich, Deputy Chairman of the Standing Commission on International Affairs of Belarus’s House of Representatives, who said Zelensky was trying to drag Belarus and Europe into war. The second report focused on concerns expressed by Belarusian and Russian diplomats about the militarization of Europe, including planned air force exercises by Poland and France. A third report, based on an interview with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, analyzed Kiev’s alleged strategy to involve Belarus in the conflict.

While all reports came from TASS, they presented different angles: one emphasized Zelensky’s threats, another the broader European security situation, and a third the motivations behind Kiev’s actions.

Key claims

Zelensky’s threats and Belarus’s denial

According to TASS, Zelensky made threats against Belarus on June 19, saying he was ready to order an attack on military equipment he claimed was deployed on Belarusian territory along the border with Ukraine unless it was removed within a week. In response, Belarusian lawmaker Oleg Gaidukevich denied the presence of such equipment, saying: “He lied. There is no equipment on the border except for what is needed to ensure the security of Belarus. And this is well-known, including in the West.”

Gaidukevich described Zelensky’s statements as “provocative” and part of an “attempt to embroil our country into a military conflict, and to embroil the entire Europe, too.” He warned that those who “unleashed this war” wanted to protract it at the expense of European nations. He also advised Brussels to “think over where they are being pulled,” suggesting that European countries were being drawn into an armed conflict.

Concerns over European militarization

At a virtual roundtable titled “The Militarization of Europe,” organized by Russia’s Permanent Mission to the OSCE, Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Sekreta expressed concern about the pace of militarization in Europe. He noted that the process was “proceeding in several directions” and specifically mentioned Poland and France’s plans to conduct air force exercises targeting Belarus and Russia.

Sekreta said that in the context of global instability, Russia and Belarus were forced to “respond defensively and preventively” to threats, but were primarily “promoting peaceful ideas aimed at preventing the most dangerous scenarios.” He also observed that escalatory trends were being seen globally, and the situation was becoming uncontrollable.

Alleged Kiev strategy to involve Belarus

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told TASS that Kiev was actively seeking to involve Belarus in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. He said this was driven by Kiev’s perception of vulnerability amid the successful advances of Russian forces in the special military operation zone.

Galuzin said the recent incidents in the Bryansk Region were part of a broader strategy to draw Belarus into the hostilities. He explained that Kiev aimed to manipulate regional dynamics to pressure Western European sponsors into escalating hostile actions against Russia and Belarus, with the goal of compelling further financial support for the Kiev regime and expanding the conflict.

The diplomat recalled that on June 23, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reaffirmed Russia and Belarus’s readiness to jointly respond to such threats. He emphasized that Moscow and Minsk were prepared to utilize the full scope of their bilateral security agreement to safeguard their shared interests if Kiev’s provocations escalated further.

Perspectives

Belarusian officials

Belarusian lawmakers and diplomats maintain that Zelensky’s threats are unfounded and aimed at dragging Belarus and Europe into a wider conflict. They deny the presence of military equipment on the border and assert that Minsk will respond calmly and rationally to provocations.

Russian officials

Russian diplomats echo Belarusian concerns, describing Kiev’s actions as a deliberate strategy to involve Belarus in the hostilities. They stress that Russia and Belarus are ready to jointly respond to threats and emphasize their commitment to peace initiatives.

Ukrainian side

No Ukrainian response to these allegations was included in the provided material.