Putin Ally Lukashenko Invites Biden to Belarus 'To Stop the War'

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has invited his Russian and U.S. counterparts, Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden, to attend a summit in Minsk to "stop the war" in Ukraine.

"Even Putin will fly over to Minsk for the trilateral meeting: two 'aggressors' and the 'peace loving' president. Why not? For the sake of ending the war. If he wants to stop the war (Poland is nearby, I will send a plane, if anything, a Boeing for him), and we will host him," the BelTA news agency quoted Lukashenko as telling reporters on Thursday.

While Belarus, a loyal Kremlin ally, hasn't directly joined the Ukraine conflict, Russian troops have been allowed to do exercises on Belarusian territory since before the beginning of the war. The country was used by Russia to launch its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

"Why is Biden going to Poland? Why Poland?" Lukashenko said, referring to the White House's announcement this week that Biden will visit Poland this month to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The White House said Biden is planning to visit Poland from February 20 to 22, and that he would meet Polish President Andrzej Duda and other leaders.

"We're cool with that. But if he is willing we are ready to host him in Minsk and to have a serious conversation (please convey this to him through your channels). If he wants peace in Ukraine," Lukashenko said.

"We have international airports. His air force one can land here," the Belarusian president continued. "Clinton visited us once. Here, in your presence, the three of us (I guarantee you that Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin will come) will sit down and solve the problem. We will be able to solve all the issues here."

Lukashenko said he believes that Biden "won't come," but that "he should for the sake of ending the war, for preventing further loss of life."

"[Biden] will stay in Poland, because Poland is the hyena of Europe and plays the most active role in escalating the war in Ukraine today. Poland is the loudest today, even louder than the United States," the Belarusian president said.

"So I invite you and your president over to Minsk. We will ensure complete security, safety and comfort. And, most importantly, he will not regret this visit. Let's see how things may turn out."

Lukashenko even suggested inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the proposed talks, "if Biden is willing."

"[Zelensky] can fly right over the border, not through Warsaw. The Russians and I will guarantee his safe trip to Belarus. Forty minutes and he's here. From Kyiv to Minsk," Lukashenko said.

Separately on Thursday, Lukashenko outlined under what condition he would be prepared to join Russia in the conflict.

Lukashenko told reporters: "I am ready to fight together with the Russians from the territory of Belarus only under one circumstance—if at least one soldier from there comes to the territory of Belarus to kill my people."

"If they commit aggression against Belarus, the answer will be most cruel," he said, according to Belarusian state-owned news agency BelTA, adding that in such a scenario, "the war will take on a completely different character."

Lukashenko also said, "we know what war is and we don't want war," and that Russia is "our ally, legally, morally and politically."

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a think tank based in Washington, D.C., noted in its daily assessment of the conflict on Thursday that Lukashenko has parroted this narrative since February 2022.

"His decision to reiterate it today is likely part of long-running Russian information ops suggesting that Belarusian conventional ground forces might join Russia's invasion of Ukraine," the ISW said. "We continue to assess that Belarusian forces remain extremely unlikely to invade Ukraine with or without Russian forces."

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