Ukraine will become 'a meat grinder': Belarus prez and Putin ally Lukashenko warns
The Ukrainian state security service confirmed that a rocket attack on Zhytomyr Airport was launched from the territory of Belarus. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, a strong ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin has now issued a chilling threat that the Kremlin is being pushed into a Third World War. His comments come after Putin put his nuclear deterrent forces on 'alert'. Moscow and Kyiv have reportedly agreed to hold peace talks at the border with Belarus.
"Now there is a lot of talk against the banking sector, gas, oil, SWIFT," Lukashenko said. "It's worse than war. This is pushing Russia into a Third World War. We need to be restrained here so as not to get into trouble. Because nuclear war is the end of everything."
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Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office said that the two delegations will meet "without preconditions" near the Pripyat River, to the north of Chernobyl. According to a spokesperson, Lukashenko will take steps to ensure that all planes, helicopters and missiles stationed on Belarusian territory remain on the ground during the Ukrainian delegation's travel, talks and return.
Meanwhile, amid speculations that Putin may be taking these steps because he is afraid of losing the war, the Belarusian dictator warned that the war in Ukraine will "become a meat grinder". "The conflict in Ukraine is the thin edge of the wedge. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about. If it continues like this, the worst will happen," Lukashenko said while speaking at a polling station during a referendum on constitutional change. Belarus is considering a new constitution that would repeal its non-nuclear status, which many fear could lead to Russia using the nation as a launchpad for invasions. Meanwhile, The Guardian reports that Kyiv's former defense minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk has claimed Belarus is set to join forces with Russia.
"He [Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky] will not be hidden in any American or some other bunker. That’s why the war should be ended today. I wouldn’t even call it the war. This is a conflict. The war will last for one-two days, but there will be a meat grinder in three days," Lukashenko warned.
Putin could reportedly be deploying one of the deadliest weapons known to man to the country and is also considering nuclear options. Putin deployed a terrifying rocket system onto the battlefield after three days of defense by Ukrainian forces. In footage verified by CNN, the Russian army was seen moving TOS-1 Buratino rockets towards the front line. Meanwhile, Putin reportedly also ordered the military command to put nuclear deterrence forces on high alert following aggressive statements by NATO countries.
Besides nuclear warheads, TOS-1 'Buratino' and TOS-1A 'Solntsepek' are some of the most dangerous weapons in modern-day warfare. The tanks, which feature a terrifying oblong-shaped rack on top, are loaded with batches of incendiary and thermobaric rockets that can wipe out everything within a 300-yard radius. British military sources warned that the weapon could potentially kill tens of thousands of civilians if used. The blast from the rockets is said to produce a wall of flame that is followed by a vacuum, causing fatal damage to lungs and other internal organs.