Ukraine considers criminal proceedings against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko
Ukraine is considering whether to open criminal proceedings against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, following a request from President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office that has added new political and legal pressure on one of Russia's closest allies.
According to a letter made public on Tuesday, Ukraine's presidential administration has formally asked the country's prosecutor general to examine whether there are legal grounds to initiate proceedings against Lukashenko. The move follows an appeal submitted by the Belarus Democratic Forum, an opposition group operating in exile.
The organization urged Ukrainian authorities to investigate Lukashenko over allegations including war crimes, genocide and what it described as state-sponsored repression. The group argues that Belarus played a significant role in supporting Russia's military campaign by allowing its territory to be used as a staging ground for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine launched in February 2022.
The opposition group also alleges that Lukashenko was complicit in the transfer of Ukrainian children to Belarus through a relocation program that has attracted international scrutiny. It cited research documenting the movement of at least 2,442 Ukrainian children into Belarus, allegations that have become part of broader international investigations into the humanitarian consequences of the war.
Belarusian authorities have previously rejected accusations of wrongdoing. In 2023, Lukashenko said that children from Ukraine had been hosted temporarily in Belarus to receive care and recover from the effects of the conflict.
The letter from senior presidential official Oleh Tatarov states that the request has been forwarded to prosecutors, who will determine whether sufficient legal grounds exist to proceed with an investigation under Ukrainian law.
Neither the Office of the President of Ukraine nor the Prosecutor General's Office immediately provided additional details regarding the next procedural steps.
Legal experts note that even if criminal proceedings were opened, there is currently no realistic prospect of Lukashenko appearing before a Ukrainian court while he remains in power in Belarus. Nevertheless, any formal charges could carry diplomatic significance by reinforcing international pressure on Minsk and supporting efforts by the Belarusian opposition to increase political isolation of the Belarusian leadership.
The development comes as Lukashenko, who has governed Belarus since 1994, continues to maintain close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin while also seeking improved relations with Western governments through discussions linked to sanctions and the release of political prisoners.
It is important to note that the allegations against Lukashenko remain allegations. Ukrainian prosecutors have not announced the opening of a criminal case, and no court has made findings regarding the claims described by the Belarus Democratic Forum.
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