Lukashenko calls himself and Putin 'co-aggressors' in Ukraine war

October 3, 2026 at 05:46 PM2 min

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Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko declared on Friday that Belarus will remain unconditionally aligned with Russia in its war against Ukraine, joking that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin debate which of them is the greater 'co-aggressor.' Speaking in Minsk during a Eurasian Intergovernmental Council session, Lukashenko said Minsk will execute any decisions adopted by the Kremlin. He reiterated that Belarus would never allow anyone to shoot Russia in the back.

Key Facts

Lukashenko made the remarks on Friday, Oct. 2, during a meeting with heads of delegations attending a session of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Minsk.
He said he and Putin sometimes jokingly discuss 'who is more of an aggressor – me or him?'
Lukashenko stated that Belarus will always be committed to the common course with Russia, despite its own understanding of individual aspects of the conflict.
He repeated that Minsk would 'never allow anyone to shoot Russia in the back' and defined the union as indivisible territory 'from Brest to Vladivostok.'
In mid-September, Lukashenko ordered comprehensive readiness checks of the Belarusian armed forces that could extend 'up to and including mobilization.'

Lukashenko's Remarks

Speaking in Minsk on Friday, Lukashenko declared that Belarus will remain unconditionally aligned with Russia in its war against Ukraine. He joked that he and Putin routinely debate which of them qualifies as the greater 'co-aggressor,' according to Belarusian state news agency BelTA. Lukashenko said he has directly articulated his analytical assessments of the war to Putin while assuring the Russian leadership of absolute loyalty. He stated that if the Russian leadership makes a decision, Belarus will always be with them, despite its particular understanding of what is happening in Ukraine.

Military Readiness

Lukashenko's public reaffirmation of solidarity with Moscow follows statements delivered in mid-September during a visit to the Obuz-Lesnovsky combined-arms training ground near Baranavichy. On Sept. 11, he stated that the Belarusian armed forces required comprehensive readiness checks that could extend 'up to and including mobilization.' He instructed Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin to verify that national command structures, civil administration bodies, and territorial defense reserves could deploy rapidly under wartime conditions. During that same military inspection, Lukashenko claimed that launching an offensive against adjacent countries would be suicidal for Belarus.