Lukashenko urges to stop conflict in Ukraine, analyze its causes later

MINSK, 8 June (BelTA) – Now it is important to stop the conflict in Ukraine, rather than to search for its causes, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with the secretaries of the Security Councils of the CSTO member states in Minsk on 8 June, BelTA has learned.

"Any of our meetings is not complete without discussing the situation in Ukraine. As an experienced person, I would just like to ask you not to look for some reasons now. Sooner or later we will talk about the reasons. But now the most important task is to stop the conflict," Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.

"Since we are on the same side with Russia, we have been designated as co-aggressor. I must say that the ‘co-aggressor' proposed a peace process from the third day of the conflict or maybe from the first day. It started here, in Belarus," the head of state recalled. “We hosted three meetings and then they gave the command not to fly to Belarus. I know that for sure."

The peace talks were moved to Istanbul. A draft agreement providing for extensive concessions from Russia was put together, the president said. The heads of the delegations agreed on the document, but the negotiations stopped there.

"Why didn't they go further? Because, most likely, Ukraine did not make decisions then. There is no point of talking about it now. Today the West, which is fighting there (if it did not supply weapons and mercenaries, the conflict would have ended long ago), is waiting for the results of the counteroffensive (I talked to Vladimir Vladimirovich yesterday; our opinions absolutely coincide on this),” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.