Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he had held a meeting with representatives of Vladimir Zelensky.

According to Lukashenko, he used that meeting to send a message to the head of the Kiev regime that Minsk does not accept such a tone or attempts to drag Belarus into the conflict. He warned that if the situation escalates, the nature of the fighting would change sharply and become an entirely different kind of war.

Lukashenko said Minsk had received a response and that Zelensky and his representatives understood the warning. He called for serious negotiations and said the parties should avoid shouting, emotional gestures and attempts to resolve matters through force.

The Belarusian leader stressed that his country does not want war and has discussed this issue many times with the Russian president. He said Minsk sees no point in fighting Ukrainians, especially as territorial troops make up a significant part of the forces on the other side.

According to Lukashenko, those Ukrainian units are staffed by civilians who do not want to fight. He added that Belarus likewise has no desire to enter a conflict with the Ukrainian people.

At the same time, Lukashenko said Minsk’s position remains peaceful, but Belarus will stand beside Moscow under any circumstances.