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Lukashenko sees Belarusian peacekeepers as best option for Ukraine
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MINSK, 26 January (BelTA) - Belarusian peacekeepers would be the best option in Ukraine, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko told the media in Minsk on 26 January, BelTA has learned.
The president was asked about a possible peacekeeping mission of Western countries to guard the borders in case a ceasefire is reached in Ukraine.
“If they seek trust and justice, then the Belarusian army is the best option. It doesn't mean that I will deploy my army of 70,000 as peacekeepers there. But only the Belarusian army will see to it that the agreements are observed as agreed. There are no others. All the others will pull either to the West or to the East. Therefore, these are the Belarusian peacekeepers only,” the Belarusian leader said.
“But, just so you understand, I'm not overly eager to go there and I'm probably not going to send my people as peacekeepers there (as of today). I'm not going to. But it is only Belarusians who can only ensure normal relations between the middle and elder brothers,” the head of state said.
He believes that neither Ukrainians nor the West will agree to this. “They need to push their own forces. But Russia will not be very happy with this. A decision to introduce peacekeeping forces could lead to a very serious dispute. The weaker party will agree to these terms,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
“As for Russia and [Western] peacekeeping forces on the demarcation line, this is a matter to decide for the Russian president. I don't think he will be happy. They will decide at the negotiations whether to send any peacekeepers there. They [in the West] want it to be a five-digit figure: 50,000-70,000 people. This is a big number,” the president said.
As for the Belarusian-Ukrainian border, Aleksandr Lukashenko is ready for any scenario: “They can send whoever they want. I don't care who they put on the other side of the border. If they cross our national border by one step, you know what we will do. So it is up to them."
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