Belarus Says No Troop Deployment to Ukraine, Apologizes

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has publicly stated that his country will not send troops to fight in Russia’s war against Ukraine, offering a rare apology to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for past harsh remarks. In an interview with Al Arabiya television published on June 15, 2026, Lukashenko also called for a negotiated compromise to end the conflict, which he described as militarily unwinnable for either side.

Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Belarusian forces would not be deployed in Ukraine, arguing his military was not equipped for a sustained ground war and that entering the conflict risked drawing in NATO. He assured Ukraine it had nothing to fear from Belarus, stating that no military action should be expected from his country. Lukashenko also apologized directly to Zelensky, saying he may have spoken too harshly in the past, while suggesting the Ukrainian leader should also avoid provocative statements.

The remarks follow an exchange of warnings between the two nations. A Ukrainian military commander recently stated that Ukrainian forces had identified hundreds of potential targets in Belarus, prompting Lukashenko to...