Zelenskyy categorically does not support the lifting of US sanctions against Lukashenko
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he categorically does not support the lifting of US sanctions against the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, but is not opposed to the US conducting negotiations with him.
"No, I am not against America conducting negotiations with Lukashenko. I categorically do not support the lifting of sanctions against him," Zelenskyy said in an interview with the independent Belarusian media outlet Zerkalo.
He added that Ukraine had not raised the issue of Lukashenko with the American side because they saw "that the Americans are inclined to establish contact with him to achieve a result by diplomatic means."
"Now we will follow this path and talk to the USA about the fact that it cannot be right that he supports the Russian regime—supporting it through war, not just geopolitics. He helps kill civilians. We have evidence; we have everything on maps, everything recorded on video, etc.: how Shahed UAVs were launched from the territory of Belarus via repeaters. This is a crime because they helped Russia—this is a fact. After these strikes, civilians died," Zelenskyy emphasized.
According to him, Ukraine will now "engage in the legal aspect of these crimes."
As reported, on February 18, Zelenskyy signed a decree putting into effect the decision of the National Security and Defense Council to apply sanctions against Lukashenko.
It is noted that sanctions are applied, in particular, for the deployment in the second half of 2025 of a system of repeaters for controlling strike drones—this increased the capability of the Russia army to deliver strikes on the northern regions of Ukraine.
Additionally, more than 3,000 Belarusian enterprises supply Russia with machinery, equipment, and components that belong to the category of critically important items. Specifically, these include components for the production of missiles that Russia uses during strikes on Ukraine. Furthermore, Lukashenko facilitated the involvement of Belarusian officials in the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
