MINSK, 8 August (BelTA) - Belarus is not secretly negotiating any agreements with the Americans behind Russia’s back, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko in an interview with TIME Magazine, BelTA learned.
In one of the questions, the journalist voiced the existing opinion that the U.S., by restoring dialogue with Belarus, is seeking to somehow drive a wedge between it and Russia. “Well, that’s someone’s dream,” the president remarked. The U.S. has always had such intentions. George Soros even spoke about this back in the 1990s when he visited Belarus and met with Aleksandr Lukashenko. “I said: ‘George, I am sorry, but I will not conduct this policy in an American way, I will not do this. Therefore, this is probably our last meeting.’ I made it clear that we would not cooperate. And since then I have adhered to this policy,” the president said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out that Belarus and Russia maintain close allied relations, which have developed not only historically but are also codified in numerous agreements. Belarus strictly adheres to all its obligations. “This is why some western Europeans and the rest, even Americans should stay out of our relations with Russia. We have relations in the military field. You know. Starting with Oreshnik missile systems and ending with nuclear weapons. Our relations are of military technology nature, of economic nature. It is our market. The Russian market is the largest market for Belarus. We buy energy resources from over there. Only from Russia. And so on. Can anyone replace it for us? They cannot. Even from the practical point of view. No one can. Let alone our legal agreements,” the head of state said.
“Russia has already stipulated in all its documents that an attack against Belarus is an attack against Russia. We have the same stipulations. An attack against Russia is an attack against Belarus. This is why we have the tightest relations. Nobody can sever them. Particularly loudmouths from the European Union,” he added.
The discussion also touched upon how Russia perceives the restoration of official-level Belarusian-U.S. engagement. Regarding this matter, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted: “Discussing third parties and states that are not present here is out of the question. It is undiplomatic behavior. Discussion of general matters in a conceptual way is possible but making backroom deals is a taboo. “We don’t make backroom deals with Americans behind Russia’s back,” the president stressed.
At the same time, there are situations when the Americans, being aware of the strong personal relationship between the two leaders, ask the Belarusian head of state to relay certain information or proposals to the president of Russia. One recent example cited by Aleksandr Lukashenko involved an idea to establish an aerial ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. According to Western officials, President Putin reportedly declined this proposal. “They tell me: ‘We tried to reach this kind of agreement with him. He doesn’t want it.’ I respond: ‘That can’t be right’ (I’m just giving an example - there were a couple other issues too). I say: ‘This is something I'm ready to discuss with Vladimir Vladimirovich - this particular issue.’ So I call him and say: ‘Vladimir Vladimirovich, here's the situation. They're raising this question.’ He tells me in a friendly, brotherly way: ‘What are you talking about? Of course we’re for it! We’re not opposed. But let Ukraine stop their strikes too.’” Aleksandr Lukashenko shared the details of the talks. “I conveyed everything [Russia’s response to the West]. I say: ‘You don’t really want this.’ – ‘What do you mean we don’t want it?’ Then warn Ukrainian leadership to stop bombing Russia. Russia won’t conduct aerial strikes against Ukraine.’
The head of state believes that aerial ceasefire would be a good first step towards full ceasefire. However, in this case, it is absolutely impossible to claim that Russia is opposed and supposedly seeks to bomb peaceful cities (although this is precisely how it is portrayed in the West). “I had a phone conversation with Putin when the Russian troops were actually near Kiev.I know his position,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.“When I asked him on the phone: ‘Vladimir Vladimirovich, you’re in Kiev, you’ve taken Kiev. This should mean the end of the war.’ He responded: ‘What do you mean taken?!’ He said they’d taken cover. His exact words: ‘They’re holed up in kindergartens, in schools. Should we bomb kindergartens and schools?’ Then the Russian president decided to withdraw troops away from the Ukrainian capital, believing certain people who promised that the war would end. “They withdrew. Did the war stop? No,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
According to him, the West is doing its best to portrait the Russian leader as “bloodthirsty”. It is absolutely not true. This is done for specific purposes - information-psychological operations are being conducted, a field in which the West has excelled and has taught these techniques to the Ukrainians. One example is the events in Bucha.“The reality was completely different from what was shown. It was a carefully orchestrated operation designed to portray Russians as aggressive, bloodthirsty murderers. Nothing of the sort actually occurred there,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.“We know exactly who carried this out. We even have the license plate numbers of the vehicles used by those who organized this in Bucha. I’ve spoken about this publicly.
“So let’s not talk about Putin bombing civilians,” the head of state said. “Does Zelensky personally control where every drone flies? They keep crossing into our territory. We’ve documented about fifty cases already.”
“So talking about Russia targeting civilians while portraying Ukrainians as innocent angels in white gloves is simply unfair,” the president is convinced.
Another aspect touched upon in the interview is a certain wariness among part of the Russian establishment regarding the intensification of dialogue between Belarus and the USA.“Russia has diverse opinions, just like America,” the head of state said.“There are people who are deeply concerned.” Oddly enough, the policy of multi-vector diplomacy pursued by Belarus has itself become a subject of criticism. “This is just one group of people, although it’s headed by a respectable institution,” the president noted.“I’ll discuss this topic with Vladimir Vladimirovich. This is just one group. There are various journalists too.”
In response to the journalist's question, Aleksandr Lukashenko stated that he saw no danger in the existence of such an opinion or such a group, including in terms of influencing the views of the Russian leadership.“It’s unpleasant, to be frank, if someone in Russia thinks and writes reports like that. But as I said, there are all kinds of people. But the main trend remains: full support of our position and complete mutual assistance. There’s nothing to reproach us for,” the president said.
According to him, he and Vladimir Putin have developed “absolutely trusting and cordial relations”, and it is unlikely any world leader knows the Russian president better. “This doesn't mean I don’t have my own point of view. I dare say that no one - neither inside the country nor abroad - speaks to him as frankly to his face as I do,” Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked.
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