Lukashenko says Ukraine faces 'complete destruction' if it does not negotiate with Russia

Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko has warned Ukraine that it will face complete destruction if it does not negotiate with Russia. The Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is a close ally of Russia and he allowed his nation to become the launchpad for Russian troops. Russian troops entered Ukraine from east and north, and troops who entered Ukraine from the north were stationed in Belarus. 

They crossed the Belarus-Ukraine border and attempted to take Kyiv, but they did not succeed. Belarus has avoided getting directly involved in the war although Ukrainian intelligence has claimed that Russia is planning a false flag operation on Belarus to get Lukashenko directly involved in the war. Institute for Study of War has said that such a false flag operation won't eliminate the factors that are restricting Lukashenko from getting directly involved in the war. 

Lukashenko tells Ukraine to sit at the negotiating table

Alexander Lukashenko has said, "Everything is in Ukraine's hands." He has said that he recognises negotiating can be hard, difficult and painful for Ukraine but "they have to do it if they want to recover. Otherwise, it will lead to a complete destruction of Ukraine." He said that peace talks are inevitable. He said, "Europe has finally opened its eyes," implying that they can now put pressure on Ukraine to sit at the negotiating table with Russia. 

His statements have led to anger in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukraine is suffering from blackouts, due to the intensive damage to power grids. According to reports from Sky news, satellite images released by NASA showcases how widespread these blackouts are.

Ukrainian authorities have asked citizens in Kyiv to move abroad if they can afford to, as that will help Ukraine conserve energy for essential services like hospitals. Ukraine faces a very harsh winter over which the UN has expressed concern as well. "Ukraine does not consider your country, especially your people, as an enemy," says a video released by Ukrainian armed forces. "We are not going to carry out any aggressive actions on Belarus territory. This is the official position of Ukraine. Today, a lot depends on each person, we hope for your vigilance and understanding of the situation," it added, as per the Sky news report.