Macron warns Lukashenko against drawing Belarus further into war against Ukraine

During a phone call on 24 May, French President Emmanuel Macron warned self-proclaimed Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko against drawing his country further into Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Source: AFP, citing a source close to the French presidential administration, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The source told AFP that the call is the first recorded direct contact between the two leaders since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022.

Macron is reported to have stressed the risks for Belarus of becoming more deeply drawn into Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. He also called on Lukashenko to improve relations with Europe amid growing regional tensions and increased military activity near NATO’s eastern flank.

The call took place after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ordered reinforcements on the Belarusian border earlier this month and warned that Moscow may be preparing for a new offensive from Belarusian territory.

Russia has denied Zelenskyy’s statement, but concern has grown following recent Russian-Belarusian nuclear drills and the stationing of the Oreshnik, a Russian nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile system, in Belarus.

Background:

Belarus reported earlier that the Lukashenko-Macron call was initiated by France.
In December, Macron said the Europeans should resume direct talks with Putin. European leaders, cautious of Putin’s military ambitions, were frustrated at being excluded from peace talks led by the US administration under Donald Trump.
In February, Macron told journalists that efforts to restore dialogue with Putin at a technical level were underway, adding that these discussions were being conducted in consultation with Ukraine.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he supported the idea of dialogue with Russia, but only on condition that interactions like this do not interfere with the negotiation process on ending the war.