They haven’t condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine—but they largely haven’t endorsed it, either.
As Russia faces a flurry of condemnation from the West for its attack on Ukraine, its friends and allies have predominantly taken a middle-of-the-ground approach in choosing to neither condemn nor endorse the invasion. Claiming his country had “no other way,” Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops to invade Ukraine and launched missiles at cities across the country early Thursday morning. Putin denied he wants to “occupy” Ukraine, but the violence is likely to escalate, potentially pitting Russia’s allies against Western countries. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a Putin-backed politician, denied his country’s troops were taking part in the invasion, although Russian troops accessed Ukraine through Belarus. However, Lukashenko said Belarusian troops could be used in the military operation against Ukraine if Russia deems they are needed, according to Reuters. Last week, Lukashenko said if rivals and opponents were to take “such stupid and mindless steps,” Belarus will deploy current nuclear weapons and “up-and-coming ones” to “protect our territory.
