Astana, Kazakhstan – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko He has a warning to the West: Do not put pressure on the Russian President Russian President Vladimir Putin in the corner.
Russia has nuclear weapons for a reason and crosses Putin’s “red lines” in Ukraine The strongman and close ally of the Kremlin said in an exclusive interview on Friday that it would be a mistake.
“If you turn a person or a country into a corner, there is only one way out – forward,” Lukashenko told NBC’s Kerr Simmons on the sidelines of a regional summit of post-Soviet leaders in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. “That’s why you don’t cross red lines, you can’t cross them.”
When asked whether his Russian counterpart was willing to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Lukashenko took a chilling tone, but also downplayed the possibility of using nuclear weapons as unnecessary and suicidal.
“If, God forbid, there is an attack on the territory of the Russian Federation, then Russia can, if necessary, use all kinds of weapons,” he said. Neither President Putin nor the Russian leadership has ever set a goal for the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Instead, Lukashenko pointed to Russia’s massive barrage of missile strikes this week against Ukraine’s civilian and critical infrastructure as an example of what Moscow is prepared to do if it gets stuck.
The Russian government described the strikes, which saw cruise missiles destroy buildings, bridges and power stations – as well as killing civilians – as retaliation for last weekend’s blast that destroyed a key bridge to Crimea.
“You may have noticed that it was strong, but it’s not all,” Lukashenko said of the Russian response. Russia, I know this for sure, possesses the most modern weapons. I don’t need nuclear weapons. Russia will do without them.”
The Kremlin has raised growing nuclear concerns with its military withdrawal on the battlefield and growing anxiety at home. Putin announced last month the annexation of four Ukrainian regions and indicated his readiness to protect those territories by any means necessary.
Commentators on Russian state television have sometimes openly suggested that Moscow is using nuclear weapons to strengthen its hold on these newly claimed territories, often referring to the official principles of the country’s nuclear doctrine – and it reserves the right to use nuclear power in response to direct attacks on its territory.
But the Belarusian leader pointed out instead that the nuclear tension was politically motivated by the West and Ukraine, and that Russia had no interest in escalating the conflict to the level of a nuclear exchange—however limited.
“This will be the end of our planet,” Lukashenko said.
If nuclear weapons are used even by one country, it will cause a chain reaction. Russia understands this well. And no one, I want to emphasize this, I know for sure from President Putin himself, no one has set a goal for the use of nuclear weapons. ”
Instead, Lukashenko said, “We need to look for ways to find a peaceful solution to this conflict. It will be beneficial to everyone, including the United States.”