MINSK, 8 August (BelTA) – In an interview with the U.S. magazine Time Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko suggested a possible format of trilateral negotiations between Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Vladimir Zelensky, BelTA has learned.
Aleksandr Lukashenko reminded the reporter that when the first negotiations on resolving the crisis in Ukraine were taking place in Minsk, even then the president suggested that Americans should get involved in the process, otherwise it would be futile. However, neither Donald Trump during his first term nor Joe Biden took part in the negotiations.
The Belarus president believes that the USA’s current approach based on ultimatums is also unacceptable. Moreover, Aleksandr Lukashenko is not sure that it is not a performance staged by the USA.
“One should not do things like this. He cannot come, make a statement, and give 50 days as the deadline. It is not Iran where you can drop three bombs and report you are out. Let’s make peace, men. You have to meet and talk,” the head of state stressed. “Everything must be done in these 50 days. As the first step missiles and drones have to stop flying. As the second step shooting has to stop totally by the 50-day deadline. End shooting, cease fire, and negotiate a definitive peace. Either demilitarization will happen or there will be a suspended war, damned if I know. But people have to stop dying.”
In his words, the Russian president may agree, for example, to an aerial truce but Ukraine should make this step at the same time.
“Three people should get together somewhere. Trump and Putin should come to terms on the first day and should invite Zelensky. You can talk about Russian-American relations on the first day and about this problem on the second day. Invite Zelensky. Put this aerial truce on the table,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The reporter recalled that Vladimir Zelensky had invited Vladimir Putin to come to Saudi Arabia for negotiations, however, the Russian president had ignored this invitation. Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked he had discussed the matter with his Russian counterpart and would have done the same in his position.
“Frankly speaking, when Putin asked me what I would have done, I told him: ‘Vladimir, there is nothing for you to do over there.’ It was my opinion. You see, it looked like some posturing. That guy came: ‘I am waiting for you here. Come to get roasted. Trump is here somewhere.’ You cannot do things like that in politics. And Putin will never go for it. It was the case when it was impossible for him to come under any circumstances. Frankly speaking, I backed him up then. I told him: ‘Right. There is nothing for you to do over there.’ What kind of posturing was that?” the head of state wondered.
“Let’s make up our minds in advance. For instance: the hero city of Minsk, Istanbul, Geneva. It has been decided. This meeting will take place in a month. We can discuss American-Russian relations on the first day, for instance. On the second day if we come to an agreement about some draft document, we will invite Zelensky, Lukashenko, Petrov, Sidorov. It will look proper. In advance. But I saw how he jumped out of the aircraft like some little kid: ‘I am waiting for Putin’. What are you on about? Just in case he is the president of a huge nuclear power on par with the United States of America,” Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked.
The president is convinced that Vladimir Putin and the Russian society want peace and are ready for talks: “Treat him with respect. It is not part of his personal character. It is part of our character. As they say, part of the Russian world, of Slavs, and so on. And including Americans. Imagine Trump in Putin’s position. Putin is flying somewhere across the Middle East while some Zelensky that you have roasted for some unknown reason in the Oval Office called Trump… Or didn’t call but passed a word via mass media: ‘I am sitting here waiting for that guy and the other one. And Trump, you should come, too.’ Listen, after this he would not supply a single machine gun to Ukraine due to this humiliation.”
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