Lukashenko says Belarus wants peace but is ‘preparing for war’

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said during a visit to the city of Grodno on Tuesday that the country is “preparing for war,” according to the state-run news agency Belta.

“Don’t believe anyone who says we want to go to war. We’re preparing for war — I openly admit that. I’m not the one who came up with the maxim, ‘If you want peace, prepare for war.’ But it’s very correct,” he reportedly said.

According to Lukashenko, Belarus is “training the relevant units” and supplying its troops with “various weapons and equipment.”

“If [‘unfriendly countries’] want to whine and criticize us, just know: we’re doing the right thing. If they started praising us, that would be bad news,” he said.

The European Parliament officially considers Lukashenko responsible for taking part in Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine by supplying Russian troops with ammunition and equipment, as well as for participating in the forcible deportation of Ukrainian children. Lukashenko has said that Belarus is willing to let Russia use its territory to launch a new offensive against Ukraine and that he’s ready to join the war if Ukraine demonstrates “aggression” against Belarus.