Lukashenko responded whether he advises Putin that it is time to end special operation in Ukraine
The settlement of the Ukrainian conflict should be decided at the negotiating table, but Russia needs guarantees that if a ceasefire is established, the West will not start bringing ammunition to Ukraine and rearming its troops – as stated by President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko in an interview with BBC journalist Steve Rosenberg
The reporter asked the Belarusian leader whether he advises Russian President Vladimir Putin that it’s time to end the special operation in Ukraine.
“No, I am not saying that it is time to end it. We have worked out a common position that it’s necessary to conduct peace talks,” the President of Belarus replied.
At the same time, he recalled how the negotiations began, with three rounds held in Belarus, and the fourth round in Istanbul.
“We have worked out some agreements; they are kept in my safe. Everything is written there. They are common. Putin suggests to start with this. Why not do it? I’ve seen them, they don’t oblige anyone much, it is possible to start with that, they are quite general in nature. Why are you refusing? Why don’t you Anglo-Saxons and the West advise Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sit down at the negotiating table and start with this? As soon as the parties sit down at the negotiating table, it is possible to talk about a ceasefire, and then about the withdrawal of the armed forces. But these issues need to be decided at the table. Guarantees are needed, first of all for Russia, so that, after establishing a truce, you do not start bringing ammunition to Ukraine and rearming the AFU. That shouldn’t be the case. This is what Putin is concerned about. Therefore, come to an agreement with him,” the President of Belarus added.
