MINSK: The current situation in Ukraine offers an opportunity to conclude a peace treaty, and if Kiev does not enter into negotiations now, ...
MINSK: The current situation in Ukraine offers an opportunity to conclude a peace treaty, and if Kiev does not enter into negotiations now, it may lose its statehood, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told the Belarusian People's Congress.
The head of state accused Washington of preparing a "Belarusian liberation army" and reiterated Minsk's readiness to "defend its country."
TASS has summarized Lukashenko's main points.
On situation in Ukraine
There is a "stalemate" in Ukraine: "The most serious <...> and favorable, if I may say so, situation for peace, for the conclusion of a peace treaty."
Kiev must go for peace, "which is evidenced by the flight of more or less healthy, sane Ukrainians from the country." If it does not engage in negotiations now, "over time Ukraine will lose its statehood and may cease to exist."
The 2022 Istanbul agreements may be a starting point for negotiations, it does not mean that they "will be serve as the basis," "but it is possible to start with them and move forward." At the same time, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky's so-called peace formula is "somehow patriotic, but unrealistic."
On US goals
The West has turned Ukraine into a drug addict "on a short leash." The Ukrainian military is tired of fighting, but "Zelensky, who wants to fight to the last Ukrainian, is backed by the entire NATO troops, the entire Western European bloc and the United States."
Another US aid package to Kiev is "the most important factor in the escalation of the conflict." "It is very dangerous that long-range ATACMS missiles have been allocated."
The United States "simply wants to drown Russia in war, tear it away from the emerging alliance with China" and at the same time "by overloading Europe, weaken it, among other things." "Washington is doing everything to drag our country into the conflict. To start the mechanism of dragging the other states, that is, to weaken both Western and Eastern European regions."
On threats to Belarus
Since last year, Belarus has recorded up to 50 Western reconnaissance jets near its borders every week. "Almost the entire arsenal of NATO countries is involved."
In the event of a direct confrontation with Russia, NATO would strike Belarus first, where Russian nuclear weapons are stationed.
The United States is preparing the ‘Belarusian Liberation Army,’ the basis of which is to be formed by the so-called Kalinovsky Regiment and other "volunteer formations," including the Russian Volunteer Corps, which is banned in Russia.
In addition, there is a high risk of armed incidents initiated by Kiev on the border with Ukraine, which has concentrated about 120,000 people in close proximity to Belarus.
On Poland's military preparations
Poland intends to create the most powerful army in Europe with the help of the United States, even though "there is no one to work there, there are many civilian problems": "What battles do they dream of, who will pay for them? After all, the war requires a powerful economy, but they are sitting on subsidies from the European Union and US aid."
Minsk will soon publish the number and nomenclature of all weapons available in Poland: "Tomorrow we will publish everything in the media, at least in the Sovetskaya Belarus newspaper."
Readiness for self-defense
Belarus has no plans to announce mobilization, but is ready to defend itself: "If anything, we'll all become the Brest fortress, but we'll defend our country."
Belarus has moved several battalions from the Vitebsk Region to the western border, the servicemen are ready to leave their posts within three hours: "And now we are facing NATO".
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