Lukashenko does not believe the AFU will attack Transnistria

Alexander Lukashenko said that he did not believe in Ukraine's intention to arrange a "provocation" on the territory of Transnistria, his press service reported.

It is unlikely that Ukraine will be able to create a fighting front on the territory of Transnistria, even if the Moldovan authorities ask for it. I do not believe that the Ukrainians will go nuts and start some second front," he said.

At the same time, he accused the West of "destabilizing the situation" in the region and said it would like "to get its hands on Transnistria and give Moldova to Romania.

In Lukashenka's opinion, this is not beneficial for Kiev.

On 23 February, the Russian Defence Ministry said that the Ukrainian army allegedly planned to attack Russian "peacekeepers" in Transnistria. It was alleged that Kiev had "intensified preparations for an invasion of the Transnistrian Moldovan Republic". The Kremlin said that it recorded a significant accumulation of personnel and military equipment of Ukrainian units near the Ukrainian-Transnistrian border. Moscow said it would consider an attack on Transnistria as an attack on its territory.

Meanwhile, the Moldovan Foreign and European Integration Ministry (MFAEI) denied the claims of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian Defence Ministry about allegedly prepared provocations by Ukraine in Transnistria.