Lukashenko names conditions of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko named the conditions of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. He said this today at an operational meeting with the military, BelTA reports.

"To prevent the escalation, we need to sit down at the negotiating table, but Russia will never sit down with them if they do not agree on the issues to be discussed beforehand. Russia has prescribed them for NATO, and for America, and for Ukraine as well. There are five or six issues. There are two or three conditions for Ukraine. The first one is demilitarization of Ukraine, preventing Ukraine from joining NATO and stopping of force actions against Donetsk and Lugansk. Perhaps there will be other issues," said Alexander Lukashenko.

But it's not enough just to discuss these issues. The drafts of specific decisions should be prepared, stressed the head of state. "Yes, they will be stricter with regard to Ukraine. But if you are defeated, of course, the winner will dictate something to you. But let's be realistic: of course they will dictate something, but it will be much better than Ukraine being defeated in the war," the President pointed out.

Alexander Lukashenko proposed to hold the negotiations in Minsk: "We are Slavs, three Slavic nations. Let's sit down and decide our fate for the future, forever. Putin stated: "We are not occupiers, we are not going to occupy Ukraine." What more is needed? That's the basis for negotiations. He's really not going to occupy it. Nobody is going to impose their forces and governments there. That's the basis for negotiations. Let's work out an agenda and solutions on this basis.

The head of state is convinced that this is the only chance today to stop the escalation and avoid a bloody war. "And maybe, and this is quite realistic, to stop this conflict, to solve all the issues. Maybe they will hear me. We won't be mediators here, we don't need any mediation: we already have this war," the President stressed.