Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko says Russian chief has achieved ‘targets’ in Ukraine and it’s now time to barter.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is not pushing Belarus into joining the war in Ukraine, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko mentioned, however he warned that Minsk would reply to exterior aggression together with using Russia’s nuclear weapons deployed in his nation.
In a web-based interview revealed on Thursday, Lukashenko said that he believed Putin had already achieved his targets in Ukraine, and that Kyiv and Moscow ought to sit all the way down to negotiations and be prepared to debate all the problems, together with the way forward for Crimea and different Ukrainian territories Russia claims.
“Its [Russia’s] targets have already been fulfilled thus far. Ukraine won’t ever behave so aggressively in the direction of Russia after the tip of this warfare, because it did earlier than the warfare,” Lukashenko mentioned within the interview.
“Negotiations ought to start with out preconditions. This can be a traditional of any diplomacy. I feel so. We have to sit down on the negotiating desk and focus on the whole lot. And Crimea, and Kherson, Zaporizhia, Donetsk and Luhansk. Every little thing there must be mentioned,” he mentioned.
Lukashenko, one of Putin’s closest allies, whose nation borders Ukraine, Russia and three NATO countries including Poland, mentioned the Russian chief had no purpose to contain Belarus straight within the battle.
“To contain Belarus … What is going to that give? Nothing,” he mentioned.
“Should you Ukrainians don’t cross our border, we’ll by no means take part on this warfare. On this scorching warfare. However we’ll all the time assist Russia – they’re our allies,” he mentioned within the interview with Diana Panchenko, a pro-Russian Ukrainian journalist.
There have been direct contacts between Kyiv and Minsk, however Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had put a halt to it, Lukashenko additionally mentioned.
In line with Lukashenko, the subjects mentioned included potential Belarus involvement within the warfare on Russia’s aspect, potential use of nuclear weapons and Wagner Group mercenaries, now stationed in Belarus.
“These questions amassed. However we had these contacts, [and] we talked. We don’t thoughts. And there are nonetheless proposals to proceed this dialogue,” he mentioned.
Lukashenko warned that he would use “the whole lot we now have” if confronted with aggression from close by NATO members.
“There will be just one risk – aggression towards our nation. If aggression towards our nation begins from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, we’ll reply immediately with the whole lot we now have,” he mentioned.
“In opposition to Ukraine, if it commits aggression towards us – not solely nuclear weapons will likely be used. We’ve got one thing moreover nuclear weapons. And we won’t warn you that should you cross the pink traces, we’ll strike on the decision-making centres. This will likely be accomplished with out warning,” he mentioned.