MINSK, November 20. /TASS/. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko sees Ukraine as a puppet state, but that doesn't mean Vladimir Zelensky is safe from getting the ax amid the corruption scandal sweeping his government.

"You see what is happening in Ukraine. As if there has never been corruption in Ukraine and as if they didn’t steal more than the whole country is worth. Recently, it was $100 million. [US President Donald] Trump says they gave Ukraine $300 billion alone. What is $100 million out of $300 billion? Nothing. But the main thing is not that someone stole that $100 million. What’s important is that the system has been uncovered, starting at the top and trickling down to everyone else. And this is not the main thing even in this Ukrainian whirlwind. The main thing is that someone is puppeteering them from abroad, from overseas. He (Vladimir Zelensky - TASS) has always been managed, and now even more so: "Fire this one, that one, this one, that one..." And he does. But they will fire you too," Lukashenko said, as quoted by BelTA news agency.

He drew attention to the fact that Belarus has been fighting this corruption "contagion" for decades domestically.

"We have enough of that too. There is enough of this in any country. But no one can blame me for encouraging some crooks who would pay me bribes. Nobody. And he will be," he said.