There is no nation in the world that wants war. The Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian peoples are no exception. Few people in the world have suffered such terrible losses, having sacrificed in its history the lives of tens of millions of its citizens, as these three peoples so close to each other. And the fact that the Russian government today launched a war against Ukraine cannot be understood, justified or forgiven. The fact that the aggressor invaded Ukraine from the territory of Belarus with the consent of the Belarusian authorities cannot be justified or forgiven.
Irreparable things have happened, and their consequences will poison relations between Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians for a long time, in the life of several generations. On behalf of the members of the independent trade unions of Belarus, the workers of our country, we bow our heads to you, our Ukrainian brothers and sisters. We apologize for the shame that the Belarusian government has imposed on all Belarusians, becoming an ally of the aggressor and opening our border with Ukraine.
But we want to assure you, dear Ukrainians, that the vast majority of Belarusians, including workers, condemn the adventure of the current Belarusian regime, which tolerates the Russian aggression against Ukraine. We demand the immediate cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, as well as from Belarus.
At this difficult moment of fate, we declare that we are together with you in heart and mind, dear Ukrainians. We wish you persevere and win.
Long live Belarus!
Glory to Ukraine!
Editorial note: This valiant declaration was issued by the Belorusian workers immediatly after the invasion by Russian troops began on February 24, 2022.