"We Have Nothing to Apologize For". Lukashenko Denies Zelensky

The Belarusian presidency denies that an apology was made in a phone call that took place in the first days of the war in Ukraine.

Natalya Eismont, the Belarusian president's press secretary, denied that Aleksandr Lukashenko called his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, in the early days of the war to offer an apology, arguing that he "has nothing to apologize for."

"The President of Belarus did not apologize to Zelensky, for the simple reason that we have nothing to apologize for," Eismont said, as cited by Nexta.

At issue is the fact that the Ukrainian president stated, in an interview, that Lukashenko called him in the first days of the war and apologized for Belarus's involvement in the conflict, particularly because Russian missiles were fired at Ukraine from Belarusian territory.

"I spoke to Lukashenko on the phone in the first days of the war and he apologized. He said 'it wasn't me', that 'Putin was launching missiles from my territory'. These are his words, conditionally, I have witnesses. He said: ' I'm sorry'", said Zelensky, speaking to American podcaster Lex Fridman

Now, Lukashenko's press secretary has stated that the conversation only took place due to "the emotional reaction of the Belarusian president's youngest son, Nikolai, who had Zelensky's personal contact on his phone."

He further alleged that, in that phone call, Lukashenko suggested the start of negotiations with Russia and "stressed above all that the conflict broke out on Ukrainian territory, on Zelensky's territory, and that it would be he, more than anyone else, who would have to answer for loss of life."