Belarusian President, Alexander Lukashenko has accused U.S of making attempts to drag Belarus into the conflict in Ukraine.
This came as delegates of the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly (VNS) on Thursday, April 25, 2024, unanimously approved a new military doctrine emphasising that Belarus is a peace-loving country.
The military doctrine declared Belarus’s readiness to act as a platform for the peaceful resolution of conflicts and its openness to cooperation in the military sphere with any states, including NATO.
The updated document listed the countries from which threats emanate, the range of internal and external threats to military security, and the position on the use of tactical nuclear weapons.
In his speech, Lukashenko noted that experts regard the military and political situation in the region as a crisis that has the potential to spill over into a global conflict.
“The main real risk is having a hot spot in the region, in Ukraine, of course. Washington is doing everything to drag our country into the conflict, to launch a mechanism to involve other states into it, in other words, to weaken both Western Europe and Eastern Europe.”
Alexander Lukashenko
Describing the situation on the front, the head of state recalled heavy fighting and loss of life, a shortage of ammunition and military personnel in the Ukrainian army.
He also mentioned drone strikes on Russian infrastructure.
Lukashenko touched on financial and military assistance from the United States to Ukraine, saying, “Withholding this money means missing out on the opportunity to weaken us and Russia.”
“The allocation by the USA of $60 billion for the war is the most important factor contributing to the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine. And it is very dangerous that long-range missiles were provided.”
Alexander Lukashenko
The Belarusian President remarked that the Russian army, on the other hand, is equipped with new weapons and has large reserves in each brigade.
“The Russian military is inching forward, although this progress is very slow,” he noted.
Russian state news agency quoted Lukashenko as saying that there could be an “apocalypse” if Russia used nuclear weapons in retaliation for Western actions.
Lukashenko Urges Ukraine To Engage In Peace Talks With Russia
Moreover, Belarusian President, Alexander Lukashenko opined that the current situation in Ukraine provides a chance to conclude a peace treaty.
Speaking at the All-Belarusian Congress in Minsk, Lukashenko said that the current situation is favorable because neither Russia nor Ukraine can prevail at the battlefield and such conditions are the best for starting a dialogue.
“Ukraine needs peace today, escape of more or less healthy, sane male Ukrainians from the country in order not to get to the front is evidence of that,” he said.
Lukashenko highlighted difficulties with the Western military assistance to Ukraine, noting that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy should proceed from realities and understand that his country needs peace.
“If we do not negotiate now, Ukraine will lose its statehood over time and may cease to exist. Ukraine needs peace today. We must move towards peace,” he stressed.
He said that the Istanbul agreements of 2022 may become a starting point for negotiations.
Nonetheless, he stated that this does not mean that they “will be laid as a basis but they are something the sides can start with and then move forward.”
Lukashenko iterated that at the same time, the so-called Zelenskyy peace formula “seems patriotic, but unrealistic,” adding that Russia will never agree on ultimatums on paying reparations, return to the 1991 borders and court-martial its leadership.
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