France's Macron issues warning to Belarus in rare phone call with Lukashenko
on Google
French President Emmanuel Macron warned Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko not to escalate his country's involvement in Russia's war against Ukraine during a phone call on May 24, a source close to Macron told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The reported call comes amid mounting speculation that Belarus may enter the war in support of Russia.
Earlier, Belarusian state media also reported that the leaders spoke via phone, saying that the call had been initiated by the French side. The conversation marks the first recorded direct contact between Macron and Lukashenko since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
"Macron emphasized the risks for Belarus if it allows itself to be drawn into Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine," the French source told AFP.
"He also called on Alexander Lukashenko to take the necessary steps to improve relations between Belarus and Europe."
The call comes less than a week after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on May 20 that Russia may be preparing a new offensive against northern Ukraine with the help of Belarus. Shortly before that, Minsk announced it was taking part in joint nuclear weapons drills with Moscow.
While Belarusian troops have not directly participated in combat operations against Ukraine, Minsk allowed Russian forces to use its territory as a staging ground for Moscow's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Belarusian territory has also been used for Russian missile launches and drone attacks throughout the war.
The night before Macron's call to Lukashenko, Russia launched a massive aerial attack against Kyiv, hammering the capital with nearly 100 ballistic missiles. The strike targeted the city's cultural and historic core, damaging museums, schools, and government buildings.
The attack involved the launch of an intermediate-range Oreshnik ballistic missile, a new weapon system that Russia has deployed to Belarus. The scale of the attack and the use of the Oreshnik has further stoked fears of Belarusian escalation.
Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for Ukraine's Border Guard Service, said during the state-run telethon on May 24 that there is no current troop buildup on the border with Belarus.
"If we talk about the line of our border, then, fortunately, as of this moment, we do not record any movement of equipment, weapons, or personnel in the immediate vicinity of our border or such accumulation," Demchenko said, though he warned that intelligence units have reported increased pressure from Russia on Belarus to join the war.
Macron has previously said that Europe and Russia should engage in direct dialogue regarding the war in Ukraine, including talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In December 2025, he said technical work was underway to lay the groundwork for such discussions.
Macron's last phone call with Lukashenko took place on Feb. 26, 2022, just two days after Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
