Russia unmoved by call for cease-fire in Ukraine

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Friday called for an immediate cease-fire, without preconditions, between Russia and Ukraine. He also urged leaders in Moscow and Kyiv to begin negotiations to end the war. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a ceasefire does not align with the country’s goals in Ukraine. Officials in Kyiv have demanded all Russian troops withdraw before beginning peace talks.

How has the war escalated? Russian President Vladimir Putin last week said Russia intends to deploy short-range, tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Lukashenko said Friday that the plan could help protect Belarus from perceived threats from Western powers. Belarus, which borders both Russia and Ukraine, has been a longtime ally of Russia and was a staging ground for Russian troops before the invasion of Ukraine last year. 

Dig deeper: Listen to Jill Nelson and Mary Reichard’s discussion on The World and Everything In It podcast about the International Criminal Court’s recent decision to issue an arrest warrant for Putin.