Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's office has asked the country's top prosecutor to consider opening criminal proceedings against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Axar.az reports, citing Reuters, that the move follows an appeal by the exiled Belarus Democratic Forum, which accused Lukashenko of complicity in Russia's war against Ukraine, including alleged war crimes, genocide and the forced transfer of Ukrainian children to Belarus.

In a letter published by the opposition group, senior presidential official Oleh Tatarov said the appeal had been forwarded to the prosecutor's office with a request to "take the appropriate response measures" if there were legal grounds to do so.

Belarusian authorities did not immediately comment on the development.

Although there is no immediate prospect of Lukashenko appearing before a Ukrainian court, any criminal charges could increase international pressure on the Belarusian leader, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, as he seeks relief from Western sanctions.

Belarus has denied wrongdoing. In 2023, Lukashenko said children from Ukraine had been brought to Belarus temporarily to recover from trauma caused by the war.