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Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Ihar Sakreta said he expects negotiations with the United States to move to a new level in the near future. He made the remarks in an interview with RT.
“The contacts between American leader Donald Trump and our president Aliaksandr Lukashenka, as well as between our governments, show that there is enormous potential for improving relations, not only between the United States and Belarus, but also on a broad range of security and economic issues, as well as diplomatic representation in these countries, in Washington and in the East. I assure you that the release of prisoners is a pretext and a tool for broader discussions on the bilateral agenda,” he said.
“We very much hope that in the near future these negotiations will move to a new level that will allow us to return to day-to-day work, what we in the Foreign Ministry call routine bilateral contacts, which we had before 2019 and which were highly productive for both the United States and Belarus. We hope for greater common sense and for the regular use of the same negotiation format with Western European capitals,” Sakreta added.
The deputy minister also stressed that Minsk is urging its Western partners to engage in dialogue without military rhetoric.
“We are saying that on the other side of the Bug River, west of Belarus, more troops and weapons are being deployed. Increasing military budgets are being allocated for new tank brigades, and more infantry divisions are being stationed on our borders. They are closer than ever before, and this poses a real threat to our country. Therefore, we must respond in some way. Of course, we cannot spend comparable amounts for these purposes. We are trying to persuade our Western European and American partners to enter into dialogue and restore the confidence-building measures and mechanisms that functioned for decades and were developed in the 1970s and 1980s. We are trying to convince them to refrain from military rhetoric because even I find it provocative. Military incidents could escalate into a much larger conflict, one that would be far worse than the war we are currently witnessing in Ukraine,” Sakreta said.
According to him, Western partners are aware of the response that would follow any aggression.
“They know perfectly well that we have signed a treaty stipulating that if any country attacks the Union State, it will trigger an immediate response under that treaty and, importantly, that even the use of conventional weapons could have serious consequences. If we are talking about nuclear, or potentially nuclear, weapons, this could even lead to the depopulation of Europe. That is a dangerous… a very dangerous consequence they would have to face. Therefore, I believe this bravado and rhetoric are aimed more at strengthening the position of political elites in Western European capitals. At the same time, we see that alongside what is being said in European capitals, there are political forces, parties and many sensible voices among the public who are alert to the situation, deeply concerned by this military rhetoric, and are calling on their elites and governments to resume negotiations with Belarus, Minsk and Russia,” he said.
According to Sakreta, several rounds of negotiations have recently taken place.
“I must admit that we have recently held several rounds of negotiations with our Western European colleagues. We do this regularly, currently under the Chatham House rule. The questions they ask me concern not only sanctions and opportunities for trade and logistics, but primarily security issues. This means they are very concerned about their own security. They want to take measures that will reduce the threat, but they also need to save face because someone among their elites has to respond to the mistakes made a few years ago, when Ukraine was flooded with weapons, and take effective steps to end this conflict,” he said.
Sakreta also commented on statements made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“If Belarus’ border is crossed with aggressive intentions, we will respond using all of our capabilities. I do not think this is entirely serious. It is more bravado and rhetoric from Zelenskyy, most likely intended to boost his declining approval ratings,” he said.
“We are monitoring the situation along our border with Ukraine, and there are no active military preparations that would indicate an impending attack. However, I must admit that we see the use of so-called opposition leaders and their fighters, for example the Kalinoŭski Regiment. They are regularly used and trained on Ukrainian territory for a possible future attack on Belarus. But I believe this is once again just rhetoric, and we do not see any real military or political potential for such a scenario. It is aimed at intimidating the government in Minsk, the president and the people by portraying themselves as ready to fight for a democratic and independent Belarus.
But I believe that every day more people, even in the West and in the United States, are coming to understand that the only legitimate government in Minsk is the government and President Lukashenka. That is why they are increasingly seeking contact with him. The recent conversations and telephone calls with President Emmanuel Macron, as well as contacts with representatives of Ukraine in Minsk and representatives of other European countries, clearly confirm this,” the deputy minister added.