Lukashenko Proposes Deploying Entire Belarusian Army to Ukraine

Alexander Lukashenko has proposed sending up to 70,000 Belarusian peacekeepers to Ukraine, a number that practically mirrors the size of the Belarusian military. Experts see this announcement as an attempt to catch the attention of the West and secure a role in peace negotiations concerning Ukraine, reports NewsBox.  

The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, put forth the initiative to send Belarusian peacekeepers to Ukraine instead of Western representatives. He mentioned that the contingent could number from 50,000 to 70,000, which is essentially equivalent to the Belarusian army's peacetime strength.

In his statement, Lukashenko stressed that Belarusians uniquely possess the ability to maintain a balance between conflicting sides. “The Belarusian army is the only force capable of ensuring normal relations between the middle and the elder brother,” he asserted, implying Belarus's potential intermediary role between Russia and Ukraine. However, Lukashenko acknowledged that deploying peacekeepers would require serious negotiations.

According to Belarusian political analyst Valery Karbalevich, this statement from Lukashenko signals to the West Belarus's willingness to engage in dialogue. The expert reminded that in 2014, Belarus played a mediating role in the signing of the Minsk agreements to resolve the Donbass conflict. Lukashenko's proposal to send peacekeepers to Ukraine may be seen as an effort to regain legitimacy in the eyes of the West, as indicated by a series of pardons for political prisoners and the accreditation of Western journalists during the recent elections.

Meanwhile, analysts are skeptical about the prospects of this initiative being implemented. Karbalevich opines that the West is unlikely to take it seriously, and Moscow, traditionally opposed to the deployment of peacekeepers, certainly won't support it.

Amid these developments, there is active discussion about Western countries' plans to send their peacekeepers to Ukraine. However, Russia sharply opposes such initiatives. In December 2024, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that any attempts to introduce contingents from Europe or the USA into Ukraine are unacceptable for Moscow.