Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today suggested that Russia is "preparing something" in Belarus for this summer, using military exercises as a pretext, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
"Russia is preparing something there for the summer under the guise of military exercises," Zelensky said during his video call at the "Three Seas" Initiative summit in the Polish capital Warsaw. Bulgaria is also part of the format.
Reuters specifies that Zelensky did not provide details, nor did he cite evidence. Russia and Belarus have announced that they will hold joint military exercises in September.
The Ukrainian leader called in his video message not to make any territorial "gifts" to Russian President Vladimir Putin just to end the war, Agence France-Presse reported. His statement comes in the context of the prospect of Washington recognizing some of the territories occupied by Moscow's forces in Ukraine as Russian, AFP reports.
"We all want this war to end fairly, without gifts - especially land - for Putin," Zelensky said.
Meanwhile, he wrote on the "Telegram" app that Ukraine is ready to share its experience in recovering from military attacks and dealing with cyberattacks with other countries of the "Three Seas" Initiative, Ukrinform reported.
"Ukrainian experts have unique experience in preserving and restoring energy supplies. The war taught us a lot - not only how to recover from Russian missile and bomb strikes, but also how to deal with cyberattacks and other threats. We are ready to share this experience. Especially now, when energy transmission networks are one of the main targets in our region. Unfortunately, (the army of) Russia is still close - and we do not see any real changes in its behavior. So we need changes in our camp - greater cooperation in the field of security is needed. Ukraine offers to do this through the "Three Seas" format, Zelensky wrote on "Telegram".
"We need to defend our energy infrastructure - especially near the border with Russia - and develop joint contingency plans. We need to check how ready we are now to protect and stabilize our energy networks if something happens," the Ukrainian head of state added.
The third point of cooperation within the "Three Seas" framework is transport, Zelensky pointed out. "Our region needs better logistical connections. "Just as the Baltic Sea can help when there are problems in the Black Sea, the Black Sea can also be of benefit to your countries in the event of a crisis. This is about more than just trade - this is about the safety of our peoples," the Ukrainian president said.