Фото: president.gov.by
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha commented on Lukashenka’s public proposal to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling it a “very strange statement” and making clear that Kyiv is not interested in such a meeting. He made the remarks during an online conference after returning from the NATO ministerial meeting, European Pravda reports.
“In the near future, we are expecting Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Ukraine, so we already have someone to talk to on all issues concerning Belarus,” he said.
According to European Pravda, the visit may take place as early as next week.
Commenting on Ukraine’s plans regarding Belarus, Sybiha stressed that he considers the historical goals of Ukraine and Belarus to be closely aligned.
“We must help Belarus become a European partner, because Belarus is also Europe,” he said.
As reported earlier, Lukashenka expressed readiness to meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss bilateral relations.
“If he wants to discuss something, seek advice or anything else, please, we are open to that. At any location — in Ukraine or Belarus — I am ready to meet with him and discuss the problems of Belarusian-Ukrainian relations. And perhaps talk about prospects. For some reason, we have things to discuss with Americans, Germans, Poles, Lithuanians and Latvians, but nothing to discuss with Ukraine…” he said.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn responded by saying that Lukashenka’s words have meant nothing since 2022, when Belarus became a staging ground for Russian aggression.
“So we watch his actions. Lukashenka has a habit of somewhat clumsily inventing after the fact where an ‘attack was being prepared’ against him. What is there to talk about?” he said.