MINSK, 14 December (BelTA) – The parties to the conflict in eastern Ukraine must take steps to put an end to it, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said at the meeting with the Russian media on 14 December, BelTA has learned.
“I do not want to see old people die in Donbass. I know what is happening there, better than those who are present here today, even better than the Russian authorities. Why do children, elderly, and women have to die? Men are fighting somewhere. Why are children killed? What are they guilty of?” the head of state said. “My position is as follows. We, Slavic people, should not fight against each other. I know Ukrainians. I worked there. People from the western part of Ukraine came to work here. They are not enemies. They are not as bad as you sometimes say. It is time to stop all this,” he added.
The president noted that without the participation of the United States neither Europe, nor Merkel or Macron will be able to solve the problem. “But the three of us [Russia, Ukraine and Belarus] can. How? We need to sit down and have a think, but for this it is necessary to stop throwing accusations and assaults. Maybe it would be wise to take some things off the table for now, to forgive. We did forgive the Germans. 30 million dead, and we have almost forgiven them. Thank God there is no such thing in our relations. So let's take steps toward conflict resolution,” Alexander Lukashenko noted.
The head of state recalled that he previously offered Belarus' participation in the settlement of the conflict, including the provision of security on the border, the organization of elections in accordance with the Minsk Accords. However, neither Russia nor Ukrainian welcomed it.
