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MINSK, 18 December (BelTA) – The establishment of a demilitarized zone in Ukraine can become a stumbling block in Ukraine peace talks, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said during a Q&A session following his Address to the Belarusian People and Parliament, BelTA has learned.
In response to a question about the possible timeline for ending the conflict, the Belarusian head of state said: “We are closer than ever to a peace agreement.”
Addressing the peace process in the Ukrainian conflict, Aleksandr Lukashenko stated that the sole point of potential deadlock is the creation of a demilitarized zone in Donbass. “This refers to the territory (15% to 20%) that the Russians have not liberated or not occupied. This is 15-20%. The Russian position has been that this area must be liberated and that Donbass should become Russian territory. And rightly so: given the root causes of this war, that is a legitimate demand,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stated.
The president emphasized that Ukrainians are being asked to free this territory: “Of course, it’s a difficult situation. I don’t know how I would behave in such situation. Zelensky is categorically against it. He says: ‘How am I supposed to give up territory? Who’s going to understand that? I’d be freeing land that isn’t even taken and just handing it to my enemy’. That’s the real sticking point for them.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that the proposal to create a demilitarized zone in Ukraine was made by John Coale, who currently serves as the U.S. President’s Special Envoy for Belarus. “He proposed making it [Donbass] demilitarized. There would be no troops there, neither Ukrainian nor Russian, since it is a stumbling stone. But it is already written into Russia’s Constitution, this is now Russia’s territory,” stressed the Belarusian leader.
He is convinced that Russia will take that territory in any case, even at the current “calm” rate of advance. “If they [the Russian military] crush that fist in Donbass, there will be no one left to defend it. They will lose all of Ukraine. Therefore, Vladimir Zelensky must weigh on one scale the loss of Ukraine, and on the other side - this piece that should be a demilitarized zone. At the same time, the Russians are ready to withdraw somewhat in Sumy Oblast and Kharkov Oblast, where they have occupied territory bit by bit,” stated Aleksandr Lukashenko.
The president noted that among other contentious issues is the size of the Ukrainian army. Kiev is talking about an army of no less than 800,000 people, which Europe also supports. “The Russians supposedly insist that it be smaller: 600 - not 600 [thousand], but smaller. That’s complete nonsense! An army is a serious thing now. Maintaining an army of 200,000 is a challenge. That’s billions [of money]. Where will they get the money when Ukraine needs to be rebuilt?” the head of state said posing a logical question.
At the same time, Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized that the Russians want peace. “The Russians truly want a lasting peace – no matter how you look at it. What does it mean to ‘continue the war further’? People are dying. To conduct mobilization? Imagine: mobilization in Russia, as in any other country, or in ours. That means taking people and sending them to the front. Is that a joy for society? Therefore, Russia does not need this mobilization and continuation of the war. Not because they are weak and only because mobilization needs to be carried out. Simply because people are dying,” he said.
The head of state also commented on the role of European leaders in the negotiation process on the Ukrainian conflict. “The Europeans are delaying, delaying… They are waiting for the new U.S. presidential election, hoping that the Democrats will return to power and everything starts all over again. That’s complete nonsense! Even if the Democrats win the presidential election, not the Trumpists (J.D. Vance and others)… They are not fools. Don’t think they will get involved like before, for the sake of Ukraine. It will not be easy for many reasons, but I don’t want to go into details,” he concluded.
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