Belarus's exiled opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, arrived in Kyiv on Monday for her first visit to Ukraine, as the capital reeled from Russia's largest missile attack this year. The visit comes amid heightened international concern over Belarus's potential role in supporting Moscow's invasion.
On Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, warning him of the risks of being drawn into Russia's war. A French presidential aide said Macron 'underscored the risks for Belarus of allowing itself to be dragged into Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine.'
Macron also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has repeatedly warned that Belarus could serve as a launchpad for a new Russian offensive in northern Ukraine. The call with Lukashenko was their first since 2022, when Belarus allowed Russian troops to use its territory to invade Ukraine.
Tsikhanouskaya said France's goal was to prevent Belarus from being dragged into the war. 'Lukashenko's regime knows what needs to be done to improve ties with the EU, but instead it continues hybrid attacks, nuclear blackmail, and threats,' she told the Associated Press.
Sunday's Russian bombardment included the hypersonic Oreshnik missile, which Putin claims can reach Mach 10. At least 87 people were wounded in Kyiv, including three children, and buildings across the city were damaged. Zelensky said Ukrainian intelligence had received warnings from the US and Europe about the attack.
