Lukashenko commented on Merkel’s statements about Minsk agreements
Former German chancellor Angela Merkel acted despicably and disgusting when she recently made statements about the peace talks in Minsk and the Minsk agreements concluded a few years ago to resolve the situation in Ukraine – as stated by the President of Belarus in Bishkek, answering journalists’ questions, BelTA reports
The essence of Merkel’s statements is that at that time she considered the Minsk agreements as an opportunity to give Kiev time to build up its power and military resources.
“I must tell you I have already expressed my point of view regarding this to Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin]. If it were so, as she says, it is disgusting. But it’s not like that. And the way it really is, it’s not just disgusting, it’s despicably… Merkel... I didn’t expect that either. The President of Russia said that he didn’t expect such an attack from Angela Merkel. She acted despicably and disgusting. She wants to be in trend. The Minsk agreements and Merkel’s position, like that of others, including Poroshenko, were very serious at that time. Can you imagine, after the Minsk meetings, the whole world was saying that they had finally taken a step and signed these agreements. The war stopped and people stopped dying. All this was positively assessed,” the President noted.
Aleksandr Lukashenko is convinced that not everything is as simple as it sounds now in similar statements by Angela Merkel and Petro Poroshenko, “Today, against the background of the current events they are saying that she, Poroshenko, this Hollande [former French president François Hollande] whom she led by the hand in front of me allegedly carried out a secret operation, deceived everyone, especially Russia, Putin, and everyone in the world. They are saying that they gave a pause, the opportunity to prepare the Ukrainian army for this war ... If this were truly so, it would be too easy. They deceived, prepared for war and are fighting now. Well, if this is so (and it is not so), why then moan that there is a war going on? You were preparing for it.”
The Head of State shared information that in 2021-2022 a war against Russia was to start from Donbass. “We know for sure (in the near future – I have told Putin about that – we will make these facts public) how they were supposed to start a war against Russia from [the territory of] Donbass after 2020 (when a rebellion took place in Belarus), if the situation developed well and they came to the border of the Smolensk Region jointly with NATO troops (after seizing power in Belarus),” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
According to him, the reason should be explained by Russia’s seizure of others’ territories. “The war was supposed to start from there in 2021, maybe 2022. Russia has taken a head start, so there is no need to blame Russia because of statements of Poroshenko and Merkel [former leaders of Ukraine and Germany], false statements that Russia has started a war,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed. They – Merkel and Poroshenko – want to show their importance, to show that the Ukrainian army is fighting, is resisting one of the strongest armies in the world because ‘at that time they deceived everyone in Minsk: deceived the whole world, and Russia, and so on’. It’s disgusting. It doesn’t look like Merkel. It is not true that they did this in order to deceive. Everything was serious.”
The President of Belarus is confident that if the Minsk agreements were implemented, Ukraine would be integral and there would be no war. “This was possible then. If we followed the path proposed by Putin, then – by now – an agreement would be concluded, and Ukraine, apart from Crimea, would be integral. There would be no war,” the Belarusian leader stressed.
Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled that, at that time, he voiced the information, wishes and demands from Russian President Vladimir Putin to the then head of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko – and vice versa. “I once said that Putin told Poroshenko for the last time that they would help restore what had been destroyed. Destructions were minimal then, but they did not agree. They were preparing for war. But then no one thought so, as Merkel and Poroshenko say today,” the President of Belarus stated.
“If they were deceiving and preparing for a war, this is disgusting. And what Merkel says today, echoing Poroshenko is disgusting. This is a trend, and they want to be in it. Secondly, Merkel does not want to be blamed today against the backdrop of events in Ukraine as people would say that she was there with Hollande, represented Europe, and pushed Ukraine in the wrong direction. She begins to make excuses. I underline once again: disgusting and unworthy. It would be better if she kept silence and didn't speak out. In this way, she crossed out everything that she did for Germany and the European Union. And we took her seriously, and Russia took her seriously. But, as you can see, it was a mistake. She turned out to be as petty as all the leaders of Europe nowadays,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.
