MINSK, 27 June (BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has a clear and unwavering position, Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Valentina Matviyenko said in an interview to STV channel, BelTA has learned.
“If the West wanted to, it would have made Kiev sit down at the negotiating table and reach peace agreements. They had absolutely other goals, other tasks. That is obvious to everyone today. Russia did not walk away from negotiations; we started negotiations with Ukraine. Belarus and President Aleksandr Lukashenko personally played a huge role. The negotiations, as you know, were held in Gomel Oblast. Belarus had to do a lot to create conditions for such negotiations. We are grateful to Belarus for this. We are grateful to the Belarusian president for his clear and unwavering position. The negotiations are on realistic terms. They have been made public,” Valentina Matviyenko said.
If we talk about what is happening in Ukraine, it is not Russia that is at war, the speaker stated. “It is the collective West, it is NATO that is at war with Russia at the hands of Ukrainians. Even today Russia is ready for negotiations, just not declarative ones. Our clear conditions must be accepted. This will be the basis for negotiations, during which nuances can be clarified. Our conditions are well-known. They are vital, important not just for Russia but for European stability as a whole. But you see they do not allow it. They tell them to fight. Zelensky – I will not refer to the leaders and other states - everyone understands that he is a puppet in the hands of the United States, that he is not a pro-Ukrainian president, he is a president who does not think about the fate of his country, which is already ruined and continues to crumble. He does not think about the fate of his people. In order to preserve peace, calmness, and the lives of his citizens, he was obliged to sit down at the negotiating table and look for mutually acceptable solutions, taking into account the existing realities,” she stressed.
