Lukashenko proposes meeting with Zelensky — Kyiv rejects the initiative

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on May 21 that he was ready to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky “anywhere — in Ukraine or in Belarus” to discuss bilateral relations.

Kyiv rejected the proposal and warned Minsk of consequences should it become more deeply involved in the war.

Lukashenko also dismissed suggestions of Belarusian participation in the conflict, saying it would only be possible in the event of “aggression against” Belarusian territory. He accompanied his meeting proposal with a conciliatory gesture.

“If he wants to discuss something, seek advice, or anything else — please. We are open to this,” Lukashenko said, according to the Belarusian state agency BELTA.

Zelensky’s office rejected the initiative bluntly. Presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn told journalists: “Since 2022, it has been clear to everyone that this man’s words mean nothing, and we should pay attention to his actions.” The two leaders last met in October 2019 at a regional forum in Zhytomyr.

Zelensky’s warning came during his visit to the city of Slavutych near the Belarusian border, where he promised to strengthen local defenses in case of a possible threat from the north.

“The Lukashenko regime must understand that in the event of aggression against Ukraine, against our people, there will be consequences,” Zelensky said.

This was preceded by several weeks of mounting tension on Ukraine’s northern border. On May 15, Zelensky said that Russia was seeking to draw Belarus deeper into the war and was considering plans to strike Ukraine from the Chernihiv-Kyiv direction or to strike a NATO country from Belarusian territory. Ukrainian intelligence recorded road construction toward Ukrainian territory, as well as the establishment of artillery positions in border areas of Belarus.

The diplomatic standoff unfolded on the same day that Belarus published video footage of heavy equipment allegedly transporting nuclear warheads through a forest as part of joint nuclear exercises with Russia. Lukashenko has recently taken steps to establish contact with the Trump administration, releasing political prisoners in exchange for a partial easing of sanctions. This has raised concern in Kyiv: adviser Lytvyn warned that reducing pressure on Minsk could prompt Moscow to seek similar concessions.