Belarusian opposition leader in exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya traveled to Kyiv on Monday for her first "working visit" to Ukraine, as Ukrainian authorities escalated warnings of greater Belarusian involvement in the Russian-led war.
The visit comes the day after one of the most violent Russian strikes against Kyiv since the start of the conflict, which left several dead and caused significant damage in the Ukrainian capital.
After a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Tsikhanouskaya stated that "a democratic Belarus" was essential to guaranteeing regional stability.
The opponent of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko also expressed her concern about the hardening of official rhetoric in Minsk.
"Lukashenko's rhetoric is changing: we are preparing for war, of course we want peace, but we are preparing for war," she told reporters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Russia recently warned that Moscow might seek to draw Belarus further into the conflict. Kyiv announced it would strengthen its defenses in the north of the country in anticipation of a possible new Russian offensive from Belarusian territory.
Since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022, Belarus, a close ally of the Kremlin, has already allowed Russia to use its territory for military operations against Ukraine, without officially committing its own forces to the fighting.
Last week, Alexander Lukashenko denied any intention of going directly to war, while stating that Belarus would fight alongside Russia in the event of an attack on its territory.
Kyiv warned that it would respond to any "provocation" or military intervention from Belarus.
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