Lukashenko's team responded to Zelensky's claim that the Belarusian dictator apologized at the start of Russia's invasion.

The press secretary of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, Natalia Eismont, announced Minsk's official response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's statement that Lukashenko apologized to Zelensky in the early days of the large-scale war for the attack from Belarusian territory.

Eismont claims that no apology was made.

“There were no apologies from the President of Belarus to Zelensky for the simple reason that we have nothing to apologize for,” Eismont stated in an interview with the Russian publication RBK.

According to Lukashenko's press secretary, his phone conversation with Zelensky “took place solely due to the emotional reaction of the Belarusian president's younger son, Nikolai, who had Zelensky's personal contact on his phone.”

“What was the essence of that conversation: our president primarily spoke about the fact that the conflict erupted on Ukrainian territory, on Zelensky's territory, and it is he who will eventually have to answer more than anyone else for the loss of lives! That is why our president called for negotiations, which took place: 3 rounds of talks in Belarus and then Istanbul,” RBK quotes Natalia Eismont.

Background. President Zelensky recounted the conversation with Lukashenko in an interview with American podcaster Lex Friedman.

“I spoke with Lukashenko on the phone, and he apologized, saying ‘it wasn’t me.’ Rockets were launched from his territory, and it was Putin who did it. He said, ‘Believe me, it wasn’t me; I don’t control it.’ I told him he was just as much a murderer, and he replied, ‘Understand, you cannot fight the Russians,’” Zelensky shared.