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MINSK, 22 August (BelTA) – Belarus and Russia will insist on preventing Ukraine from becoming a springboard for attacks on them in the future, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko told journalists on 22 August commenting on talks about providing some guarantees to Ukraine, BelTA has learned.
When asked about the possibility of Belarus also acting as a security guarantor for Ukraine, Aleksandr Lukashenko stated: “Typically, discussions of security guarantees refer to permanent [UN] Security Council members. This includes powers like the United States and China, as well as major European nations that are not Security Council members – and even Belarus. But when this idea was raised to me privately, I had to ask: is it truly in our interest to provide such guarantees to another nation?”
As for the possibility of Belarus getting involved, the president said: “Are we aggressors? We will get involved. But we are not desperate to do it.”
The head of state noted that the Europeans have begun to disavow this information and want to act as such guarantors themselves, together with the Americans. The possibility of introducing their troops into Ukraine or creating a powerful army in Ukraine, among other things, is being discussed. “The Russians, of course, now strongly oppose having foreign troops there. The Russians do not need this,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The president emphasized the need for realism: even if troop reductions or weapons limits are agreed upon today, nothing prevents the situation in Ukraine from changing later “by force or by deceit”. In this regard, the head of state cited the historical example of Germany, where all agreements on the size of its army and other restrictions have long been abandoned.
“Indeed, we will jointly insist with Russia that measures be taken to prevent them [Ukraine] from adopting an aggressive policy or serving as a launchpad for an attack on us in the future,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.
Regarding the composition of security guarantors, the president mentioned Zelensky’s reluctance to include China in this fold, arguing it had failed to prevent the war. “As if China should have intervened to stop it!” he remarked. “The responsibility to avoid war was your own. And let’s be clear: without China – a permanent Security Council member – and its guarantees, securing a lasting peace in any part of the world is immensely difficult. Zelensky should think carefully before speaking so carelessly,” the president said.
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