Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko meets with military officials
in Minsk on October 10, 2022. Photo by AFP
“Everything is up to Ukraine. Indeed, everything is now in the hands of Ukraine. If they do not want to see numerous deaths among their people, they should stop. It’s difficult, but this must stop. It must be stopped because it will result in the complete destruction of Ukraine,” Lukashenko said on Thursday, Nov. 24.
He added that the very existence of Ukraine as a state is now in jeopardy.
Meanwhile, Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, once again laid blame on Ukraine for the damage caused by Russian missile attacks. He said that Ukraine was responsible for the fallout from the strikes and that Kyiv could end the attacks by acquiescing to Russia’s demands.
Ukraine “has every opportunity to settle the situation, to fulfill Russia’s demands and, as a result, end all possible suffering of the civilian population,” Peskov said.
On Nov. 24, Russia once again denied targeting Kyiv, instead accusing “foreign and Ukrainian” air defense systems of pummeling the capital with missiles. Critical energy facilities, as well as residential areas, were targeted in attacks on Nov. 23, leaving ten people dead.
“Not a single strike was made on targets within the city of Kyiv,” the Russian defense ministry said, adding that “any damage was the result of the fall of missiles from foreign and Ukrainian air defense systems located in residential areas of the Ukrainian capital.”
