Lukashenko does not consider relations with Ukraine hopelessly spoiled
In an interview with Ukrainian journalist Diana Panchenko, the President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, said he does not believe that Russia's relations with Ukraine, as well as Belarus' relations with this country, are hopelessly spoiled, BelTA reports
The Head of State answered the journalist's question, which concerned the idea of the growing hatred between peoples, in particular Ukrainians towards Russians, “It all was viewed – I am now sharing my own point of view – most likely, in a different way. We have become smarter by now, we have drawn lessons from those events. True, everything you have mentioned is observed. We have angered the peoples. Moreover, the position of Ukrainians and Russians seems irreconcilable to us. Belarusians are also involved in this," the Head of State said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko noted, that in this regard, he always gives an example of the atrocities committed by fascists during the Great Patriotic War. “Our wounds have healed. The Soviet Union enjoyed good relations with Germany. Both Ukraine and Belarus, which was ruined almost to ashes, have built relations with Germany. Why should not we build [relations with Ukraine after the end of the military confrontation]? We’d build them, but it is necessary to go towards this,” the Belarusian leader stressed.
"If we talk about it, but not move towards it, then it is unlikely that we will do anything. We need to go ahead, and the negotiations are the first step on this path. Well, we will look at each other like animals on the first day, but later start talking. It was the same in Gomel, in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, in Istanbul [where several rounds of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations took place in 2022]. We already witnessed that. The meetings then started with true lightening strokes, but then we started discussing specific issues. But Americans ordered Volodya Zelenskyy to stop and fight,” the President said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko believes it is possible to find solutions to the situation only through negotiations, and this should be done with the participation of all parties involved and the power players. “This should be not like in Saudi Arabia, when they gathered [for negotiations on peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian conflict in early August 2023 with the participation of a number of countries]. Russia was not present there, so what kind of negotiations and conversations were those? What was possible to agree upon behind the back of the main player? I mean those who are involved. Those who feel that they should be present at the negotiating table must attend such talks,” the Head of State summed up.
