Macron called Alexander Lukashenko for the first time since the start of the war; Delivered just one message

French President Emmanuel Macron warned Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko not to deepen his country’s involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine, AFP reported, citing a source close to Macron and as reported by Kyiv Independent.

The phone call, held on May 24, came amid growing speculation that Belarus could become more directly involved in the war on Russia’s side.

Belarusian state media previously reported that the two leaders spoke by phone, saying the call was initiated by the French side. It marked the first direct contact between Macron and Lukashenko since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

 Emmanuel Macron “stressed the risks for Belarus if it allows itself to be drawn into Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine,” a French source told AFP.

The French president also urged Alexander Lukashenko to take necessary steps to improve relations between Belarus and Europe.

The conversation came less than a week after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on May 20 that Russia might be preparing a new offensive in northern Ukraine with Belarusian support. Shortly before that, Minsk announced it was participating in joint nuclear military exercises with Moscow.

Meanwhile, Russia carried out a massive airstrike on Kyiv, targeting the capital with nearly a hundred ballistic missiles. Cultural and historical parts of the city were hit, and museums, schools, and government buildings were damaged.

Reports say a medium-range ballistic missile, “Oreshnik missile,” was also used in the strike — a new Russian weapons system that Moscow has deployed in Belarus. The scale of the attack and the reported use of the “Oreshnik” have further increased fears of possible Belarusian escalation in the conflict.

Spokesperson for the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service Andriy Demchenko said on May 24 during a televised appearance that there is currently no buildup of Belarusian forces along the border.

“At the moment, fortunately, we are not observing any movement of equipment, weapons, or personnel in the immediate vicinity of our border, nor their concentration,” Demchenko said.

However, he warned that intelligence services are recording increased Russian pressure on Belarus to join the war.

Emmanuel Macron had previously stated that Europe and Russia must engage in direct dialogue about the war in Ukraine, including talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In December 2025, he said technical preparations for such talks were underway.

The last phone call between Macron and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko took place on February 26, 2022, just two days after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.