"Budanov Sends A Message To Lukashenko"
- 30.07.2026, 10:26
Ukraine has no intention of negotiating with a dictator.
The Office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked the Office of the Prosecutor General to consider opening a criminal case against Alexander Lukashenko.
The letter states that this is a response to an appeal from the “Forum of Democratic Forces of Belarus”. In May, the organization sent a letter to Zelenskyy calling for Lukashenko to be held accountable for “war crimes, genocide, and state-sponsored terror.”
What does this move by the Office of the President of Ukraine indicate? “Solidarity” asked Ukrainian political scientist Yevgeny Magda about this.
— With Kirill Budanov taking office as head of the Presidential Office, Ukraine’s policy toward Belarus has become significantly more active. And I think this is hardly surprising, since Budanov is a former head of the Main Intelligence Directorate. He has his own vision of how to develop relations with Russia, our co-aggressor,” says the political analyst.
— Why is the Office of the President specifically the one initiating the criminal case? It’s best to ask them about that. But I understand that Lukashenko has sufficient grounds to be a defendant in criminal cases in Ukraine. Another point is that the initiation of this criminal case indicates that Ukraine has no intention of negotiating with Lukashenko, including regarding his participation in the process of Ukraine’s recovery after the end or suspension of hostilities. Ukraine will not support him in any way.
On the other hand, this is a signal that Lukashenko remains on Ukraine’s radar. This means they’re playing a game with him: “You know that we know that you know.” And they’re playing it to demonstrate that they have levers of pressure and levers of influence. Lukashenko would do well to rethink his policy.
There’s another interesting point here. In international law, it is generally not customary to impose sanctions or initiate criminal cases against the leaders of other states or foreign ministers. At least, this practice exists, although it is not mandatory in all cases.
And if Lukashenko becomes the subject of criminal proceedings, Kyiv is sending a signal that it does not consider him a legitimate president. It’s just not saying so directly.