French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday warned Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, a key Russian ally, against an involvement in Moscow's war against Ukraine, a source close to Macron said.
The warning was made during the first reported phone call between the two leaders since the early days of Russia's invasion in February 2022, partly launched from Belarusian territory.
Macron "stressed the risks for Belarus of allowing itself to be drawn into Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine," the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
"He also urged Alexander Lukashenko to take the necessary steps to improve relations between Belarus and Europe," the source added.
A brief readout on the Belarusian presidency's website said that "the heads of state discussed regional issues and Belarus' relations with the EU and with France in particular."
