Opinions & Interviews
Lukashenko outlines his plan for peace in Ukraine
MINSK, 17 December (BelTA) – The conflict in Ukraine, like all others, will end in peace sooner or later. However, it is important to achieve this sooner in order to prevent further loss of life, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said in an interview with the U.S. media company Newsmax, BelTA has learned.
“Every war ends in peace. It's a classic saying. This war will end in peace too. The sooner it ends, the fewer people will die. I often say, in a man's straightforward way: people die in war. But very many people are returning from the war crippled! What do you do with them? Without legs, without arms,” the president said.
Why can't Trump alone resolve the issue?
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that if the question of a peaceful settlement depended solely on U.S. President Donald Trump, then given his current policies, the war would have ended long ago. However, this is a multilateral process. “There are two conflicting sides: Russia and Ukraine. They drag us, Belarus, into it as well. This conflict is nearby, and we are not indifferent to how events will unfold there and how the war will end. Trump alone cannot solve this issue,” the Belarusian leader stated.
The head of state recounted that in a phone conversation with Donald Trump before his meeting with the Russian president in Alaska this August, he had warned that they needed to prepare for hard work, as this problem could not be solved in one go. “I advised him then to make every effort to negotiate with Russia to stop the war,” he said.
What needs to be done first?
Aleksandr Lukashenko believes that discussing the details of a peace deal could take months or even years, but the most important thing is to do the main thing: stop the shooting at the front lines and halt any movement toward war. The president gave the example that a peace treaty between Russia (and before that, the USSR) and Japan has not been signed to this day, yet this has not prevented the two countries from cooperating for decades.
“Therefore, the most important thing today is to stop the slaughter so that people stop dying,” the Belarusian leader emphasized. “If people are not dying, then you can sit down and negotiate about anything. Territorial issues, or anything else.”
How does Lukashenko propose to freeze the conflict?
The head of state believes it is important to “freeze the conflict once and for all,” to halt the hostilities in such a way that Russia does not remain wary that this time might simply be used to rearm Ukraine. “We need to ensure that no one is wary about the fact that we have stopped the conflict (during a time when Russia is winning; as is indeed the case)… To avoid Russian concern, we must prevent Ukraine from rearming and halt Western weapons deliveries during this period.”
In this regard, he recalled the hypocritical stance of European politicians when peace agreements on Ukraine were reached in Minsk in 2015. “If the Europeans had not taken a foolish position back then… According to [former German Chancellor Angela] Merkel, they wanted to give the Ukrainians time to rearm to fight back against Russia. It turns out they didn’t come here to negotiate peace, but to plan for a future war,” the president said. “An agreement was concluded back then. The mediators, so to speak, were the Europeans - Germany and France. How did that end? In nothing. I suggested back then that the USA should be included in this process. Without the USA, there would be no peace there. If the agreements that were reached here in Minsk had been implemented then, there would have been no war.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko is convinced that if Donald Trump had been president at that time pursuing his current policy, then he would not have remained on the sidelines, and the war would most likely have not happened.
What can push the conflicting parties toward peace?
Reflecting on how the conflicting parties can achieve peace under current conditions, Aleksandr Lukashenko expressed the view that the evolving situation around them will push them in that direction. For example, he did not rule out that escalation can lead to mobilization in Russia. “Are Russians happy with the war going on? Of course not,” he said. “Besides, Putin often tells me about this: ‘We, kin nations, are fighting against each other’. This involves psychological aspects, among numerous other issues.”
“Zelensky should understand perfectly well, and in fact understands that this [the continuation and escalation of the conflict] can end Ukraine as a sovereign nation,” the president added.
“These are the factors at play. Plus, Trump’s pressure on the one party and on the other. External pressure. If they don’t reach a deal now, this external pressure will only intensify. These are the factors weighing on the two presidents. They understand they must stop, they must come to an agreement,” the Belarusian leader said.
What guarantees are needed?
According to the president, certain guarantees are needed to ensure a long-term peace. “There must be guarantees. Russia wants guarantees to make this permanent. I know this. Russia wants to conclude a peace treaty so that war never starts again. Ukraine is also interested in this. Trump is prepared to act as a guarantor of this. All the elements are there. So things need to be sped up,” he said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko observed that the pressure from Donald Trump in this instance is primarily directed at Vladimir Zelensky, who is resisting an agreement. “Why is he reluctant? Because the Europeans have gotten involved in this, and they are whispering in his ear that they will help Zelensky fight. They won’t help at all. They don’t have the resources that the USA has. If the USA steps back, escalation is unavoidable. And then Macron, Merz, and Starmer [the current leaders of France, Germany, and the UK] will understand their mistake,” the president stressed.
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