Belarus Claims Ukraine is Provoking Russia Towards Nuclear Escalation

According to SAEDNEWS, In a recent interview with Russia-1, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko expressed grave concerns over Ukraine's incursion into internationally recognized Russian territory, characterizing it as a potential provocation for Moscow to consider the use of nuclear weapons. This analysis signals a significant shift in the escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia, particularly following what Lukashenko described as the largest cross-border assault by Kiev since the onset of the conflict.

"The danger is that this kind of escalation on the part of Ukraine is an attempt to push Russia into asymmetric actions, for example, the use of nuclear weapons,” Lukashenko stated, warning that such a move would have dire consequences for Russia's global image. He noted that it would likely lead to a loss of allies, as nations universally abhor the fallout associated with nuclear warfare. “Then we would probably have hardly any allies left. There would be no sympathetic countries left at all,” he added.

The Belarusian leader also addressed remarks from Ukrainian officials claiming that the incursion into the Kursk Region was aimed at enhancing Kiev’s diplomatic positioning for potential negotiations with Russia. "This plan is classic, but it does not work in a struggle against a great empire that has not even begun to fight in earnest," he asserted, confident that Ukrainian forces would ultimately be expelled from the area.

Lukashenko's remarks align with Russia's existing nuclear doctrine, which permits the use of nuclear weapons only in response to significant threats, including the use of nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction, or conventional aggression that threatens the state's very existence. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously stated that there is no current justification for the use of nuclear weapons in the Ukraine campaign. However, Moscow has indicated that changes to its nuclear policy could occur in reaction to perceived escalations by NATO.