March 17, BPN. Aliaksandr Lukašenka has urged Kyiv to sign a peace agreement with Moscow, stressing that he was confident of a Russian victory over Ukraine.
“I am convinced that in the near future this conflict, Russia’s operation, will end in peace,” he told Japan’s TBS.
“Let me tell you the most important thing for the first time: I know for sure that Russia offers Ukraine an absolutely acceptable agreement. Today it is still possible for Ukraine and Russia to agree and Zelensky to sign this treaty with Putin. If Zelensky does not go for it, then, believe me, he will have to sign an act of surrender soon. Russia will not lose this war. You are 100% convinced of that, too. Japan knows better than I do what happens if one of the sides wins,” Lukašenka was quoted by his press service as saying.
He announced the condition of the ceasefire in Ukraine: “A ceasefire is possible once an agreement has been drafted and approved by the foreign ministers, based on the negotiations taking place in Belarus. I am absolutely certain that Russia will not agree to cease or suspend the operation until the agreement is drafted.”
According to Lukašenka, Russia relies on its recent experiences in the past: “In 2014 (actually, in 2015 – BPN) the ceasefire was based on the Minsk agreements, the armed forces got separated, and this is how it ended… It ended up in the current war. That’s why Russia has every reason not to trust the current leadership of Ukraine,” he said.
“On top of that, Russia has set itself certain goals in this operation. It will definitely achieve them,” said Lukašenka, who had allowed Russian troops to use Belarus’ territory for operations.
He said that Ukraine seize the opportunity to reach an agreement with Russia: “Perhaps, it is the very moment that may not be repeated, for Ukraine to get out of it with dignity. If this moment is lost, it will probably not happen again.”
“Therefore, Ukraine should cling to this moment. It will benefit Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus. Most importantly: we will save thousands and thousands of lives if we sign the agreement now,” Lukašenka noted.
In his opinion, the UN is unable to stop the
war: “The same applies to other states. Only Russia and Ukraine can stop
the war by signing an agreement. Or the Americans could order the Ukrainian
leadership to stop the war. If the Americans go for it, the EU and others will
quickly rally behind the US and support their decision. There are only two powers.
Russia and Ukraine or America,” said Lukašenka.
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