Posted: 22.02.2023 11:54:00

Open talk

The President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, met with representatives of foreign and Belarusian media. The meeting with journalists lasted more than three hours. Representatives of the media were interested in the opinion of the Head of State on the most acute issues: the conflict in Ukraine and the positions of the parties, Belarus-Russia Union State interaction, as well as many others. The event is unscheduled. The President responded to the requests of the foreign guests who arrived in the Belarusian capital.


“I am telling you honestly that the meeting has not been planned. The Press Secretary told me that we have such a powerful ‘army’, especially foreign journalists (I do not count Russians among as such). I thought that it would probably be inhospitable on behalf of Belarus not to give you some time,” the Head of State said. In addition to Belarusian journalists, media representatives from Austria, Azerbaijan, the UK, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the USA, France, Japan and the interstate television and radio company Mir arrived at a meeting with the President. Let us give you key statements of the Belarusian leader.

Situation in Ukraine

In particular, Aleksandr Lukashenko spoke about those who do not want peace in Ukraine and also named the reasons for Belarus to use its army, 
“I am ready to fight together with the Russians from the territory of Belarus only in one case: if at least one soldier sets foot in Belarus to kill my people. If they commit aggression against Belarus, the answer will be immediate. The war will acquire a completely different scale then.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko added that this pertained not only to Ukraine but also to other neighbours.
Answering the question from the BBC journalist, he recalled that even before Russia started its special military operation, Ukraine was preparing to use its multiple rocket launchers against Belarus, “Ukraine was doing it deliberately. I do not know why they needed it. They came under fire from the territory of Belarus in the first minutes. It was in the morning, a few minutes before the start of the special military operation.”
The President said that back in 2020, Ukraine was actually the first to impose sanctions against Belarus, even before the Western countries did it, “It was not the United States, not the Anglo-Saxons, not Western Europe. Unfortunately, it was our kin nation of Ukraine. It closed the airspace, launched provocations and trained fighters.”


Aleksandr Lukashenko also recalled statements by Western politicians that the Minsk agreements were used as an opportunity to prepare the Ukrainian army for war, 
“It’s not an invasion. The Ukrainian authorities provoked this operation. By actions like that. I just named a few of them. Had they reached an agreement with Russia there would have been no war. But everything was tailored, starting with the Minsk agreements, to unleash a war. I believe this is the protection of the interests of Russia and those people, Russian people.”
The President is sure that Ukraine was only a pretext for the war that the West was pushing. Moreover, there is interest in the dismemberment of Ukraine, including with the participation of Poland.

The peaceful proposals of Minsk

Aleksandr Lukashenko voiced intelligence data that the West wants to draw Belarus into the war and is literally dreaming of it. Given the length of the borders of Belarus, this would further stretch the front by 2,500 kilometres, which would complicate the situation for the troops of Belarus and Russia.
“We won’t give you that chance. But if you dare to set foot on our land, the answer will be the toughest. The West knows how we will respond and what weapons we will use. Nobody needs war. While there is no expansion of the hostilities today, let’s negotiate peace. The eastern side is ready for this,” the Head of State said.
At the same time, the President believes that the West and Ukraine are not yet ready for this, “Not only are you not ready, it would be a terrible tragedy and a disaster for you if peace talks began now. You need war.”


In this regard, the Belarusian leader drew attention to another point — it is the West that sends mercenaries to Ukraine to fight. There are already more than 20,000 of them, “How many people did Lukashenko send there? How many? Zero! And you are throwing blame at me. I do not send people there, and I am not going to do it. I had already honestly and sincerely told you in which case I will be ready to do this… My point is that there is always someone to talk to about peace. It may seem strange, but I think this dialogue should be conducted with the Ukrainian military. I am convinced of this. Ukraine’s military have a kind of, to put it mildly, different point of view than Ukrainian politicians and President Zelenskyy. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is well aware of it. The upcoming, as many are already predicting, reshuffles in the military prove this point. The most professional military are most convinced that the war must be stopped. You will see that we — and the Russians in the first place — will have to negotiate with the Ukrainian military. People are used as cannon fodder there, they are ready to sacrifice millions of Ukrainians. The military understand that. The military will be able to negotiate peace agreements.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko called on Western politicians to change their mind, 
“We don’t want war. We want peace negotiations. But you have Zelenskyy bound hand and foot and do not let him to the negotiating table. This is my conviction, and many facts prove it. This means you want war. Do you, the United States, hear me? We want peace. Give the corresponding command to Zelenskyy and sit down at the negotiating table yourselves together with Putin, and I will sit next to you. Wake up! Only the United States needs this massacre. Europe does not need it. Only them. Europe does not need it.”
Speaking about the regional group of forces, the President stressed that the Russian military stationed in Belarus have no plans of attacking Ukraine. They are undergoing combat training with Belarusian servicemen in order to be ready, if necessary, to repel aggression against Belarus together.
The Head of State asked a question, “Why is Biden going to Poland? Why Poland? We’re cool with that. But if he is willing we are ready to host him in Minsk and to have a serious conversation (please convey this to him through your channels). If he wants peace in Ukraine.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko also said that he was ready to hold a joint meeting with Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden, “Even Putin will fly over to Minsk for the trilateral meeting: two ‘aggressors’ and the ‘peace loving’ President. Why not? For the sake of ending the war. If he wants to stop the war (Poland is nearby, I will send a plane, if anything, a Boeing for him), and we will host him. Here, in your presence, the three of us (I guarantee you that Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin will come) will sit down and solve the problem. We will be able to solve all the issues here… But, alas, he won’t come. Though he should for the sake of ending the war, for preventing further loss of life. He will stay in Poland, because Poland is the hyena of Europe and plays the most active role in escalating the war in Ukraine today.”

The best alliance for Europe

The President is convinced that all problems must be resolved peacefully at the negotiating table. Belarus, and personally the Head of State, were involved in this process during the work on the well-known Minsk agreements.
“Well, come to an agreement, sit down at the negotiating table, you see that it is possible. And there were a lot of proposals. Yet you, together with the West, chose to deceive Russia having gathered in Minsk. Although it was not deception. It’s just a trend. Now Hollande and Merkel want to show that they played an important role in keeping Ukraine going, that they gave Ukraine the opportunity to prepare for war. Back in those days everyone believed that we needed to follow the path of the Minsk agreements. Today both Hollande and Merkel are lying. And Poroshenko is also lying. Because today it is not de rigueur to talk about what happened in Minsk. It is not de rigueur. That’s the problem,” the Head of State emphasised.


Aleksandr Lukashenko expressed the opinion that the best option for the European Union is to ally with Russia. The USA and China would be jealous of such an alliance.
“The best option for the Europeans is to ally with Russia. The one has resources, the other — high technology. It would be the main centre of power on the planet. The United States and China (with all my due respect and friendly attitude towards China) would be jealous of such an alliance. There would be three powerful centres — the United States, China and the European continent together with Russia, think Eurasia. Perhaps a fourth centre can be formed around India or India and others can join these centres.”
The President believes that this is the direction in which the situation will be developing. Although the United States does not want this and is torpedoing any normal processes, including attempts to establish peace in Ukraine, which the Europeans want. The countries of the European Union ‘are still running behind the United States’ in decision making.

Based on materials of sb.by and belta.by
Photos by BELTA