Belarus' Lukashenko alleges West preparing to 'dump' Zelenskyy amid Poland dispute

During a government meeting on Friday, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko made claims, asserting that the United States had given its partners the green light to abandon Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, citing him as a "nuisance." Lukashenko pointed to the ongoing grain dispute between Poland and Ukraine as evidence of this new policy shift. He highlighted how Poland, previously one of Zelenskyy's staunchest supporters, had now become sharply critical of its Ukrainian partner, reported RT.

This change in Poland's stance occurred after Warsaw, along with Hungary and Slovakia, unilaterally banned the import of Ukrainian grain, despite the EU's decision to lift an embargo applied to these three countries, along with Romania and Bulgaria. In response, Kyiv lodged disputes against the three nations with the World Trade Organisation.

Lukashenko remarked, "Do you think that Poland is putting pressure on poor Ukraine today for no reason? No, they have been given the go-ahead from overseas: We need to dump this Zelenskyy, we're tired of him." He also suggested that the upcoming US presidential election could lead to decreased international attention on Zelenskyy.

US President commits to backing Zelenskyy

Despite Lukashenko's allegations, US President Joe Biden reaffirmed on Friday that Washington would continue to support Zelenskyy throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Biden also announced that US-made Abrams tanks would begin arriving in Ukraine the following week.

Zelenskyy, who was on his second wartime visit to Washington, emphasised that Kyiv's ability to withstand Russia's aggression hinged on sustained US military assistance. Reportedly, he warned that without this aid, Ukraine "will lose the war."

According to RT, the Biden administration, so far has allocated $115 billion in military and financial aid to Kyiv, recently requesting an additional $24 billion for approval by the end of the month. However, an increasing number of predominantly Republican lawmakers have begun to oppose further financing of the Zelenskyy government using US taxpayers' money.

US Republican Senator Josh Hawley from Missouri, in particular, argued on Wednesday that the US should cease providing extensive financial support to Ukraine, especially considering what he perceived as a lack of significant results from Kyiv's summer counteroffensive. Hawley insisted on suspending further funding to Ukraine and urged Germany and other European allies to step up and provide assistance to Kyiv.