Aliaksandr Lukashenka said he recently held talks with representatives of the Ukrainian president while meeting with Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov. According to Lukashenka, the contacts took place “recently.”
“Representatives of Zelensky were sitting in this very room not long ago. I told them directly: ‘Guys, tell your president that if he thinks he can speak to us like this and drag us into the war, he should understand that the nature of the war would change instantly. It would become a completely different war.’
By the way, we received a response: the president and they understand this. So let’s negotiate, guys. We need to negotiate seriously. No need to kick up dust. No need to shout. No need to try to punch someone in the face, as the Russians say, and so on. Let’s act like human beings, understanding what Russia is and what we are. There is understanding on that side as well,” Lukashenka said.
Lukashenka rejected claims that Russia is seeking to draw Belarus into the war.
“There is no need for us to be drawn into the war. And there is no need to push us toward it by claiming that Boris Vyacheslavovich (Russian Ambassador to Belarus Boris Gryzlov) is organizing a process here to drag us into the war. The President of Russia and I have discussed this issue a thousand times.
How are we supposed to fight Ukrainians here when, on the other side, it is mostly territorial defence forces? Are we going to shoot at machine operators, dairy workers and ordinary working people who do not want to fight Belarusians? We do not want to fight Ukrainians either,” he said.
Lukashenka stressed that Belarus has enough land and economic resources of its own and therefore maintains a peaceful position, while remaining aligned with Russia.
“That is why our position, Andrei, so that you understand, is a peaceful one. But under any circumstances, we will stand alongside Russia,” Lukashenka said.
“We value that very highly, Aliaksandr Grigoryevich,” Vorobyov replied.
“There can be no other way. Listen, we understand what could happen if the West comes here again and wins. I am not talking about Ukraine. What Ukraine? This is not about Ukraine. We understand who we are fighting today.
If they want peace, let us negotiate seriously. We do not need this war. We have enough land, enough of our own economy and enough of our own problems. So there should be no confrontation, no need to kick up dust. I am saying this so that you understand my position. I do not hide it.
Peace and only peace, but with a full guarantee that they will not play games with us and, as Putin says, deceive us once again. Because deceiving Russia would first of all strike Belarus. We are on the front line of our homeland, and we understand that perfectly.
That is why we want people to understand that Ukraine today, Andrei, is a bargaining chip in a much bigger game. It is not really about Ukraine. You know what this is about and who is ultimately fighting whom. That is why all of this needs to be sorted out, and everyone should pursue their own interests somewhere else. Neither we nor Russia need this,” Lukashenka said.
