Lukashenko announces plans to discuss Ukraine conflict with Putin

“They [people in Ukraine] look askance at us, they vilify us. Well, they stop short of calling us enemies. We are not enemies for the Ukrainians. I have said it many times. They are our kin. They are like us, like Russians, we need to come to terms quickly. It is absolutely possible. But for this it is necessary to embark on talks. If there is no dialogue, no conversation, there will be escalation and people will die,” the Belarusian leader emphasized.

Commenting on the heat wave that gripped the region, Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked: “What is it like to fight in forty-degree heat... It’s scary even to go outside, but imagine fighting being fully equipped, with a bulletproof vest. This is an unbearable torture for the military. And people die. And these are someone’s children.”

“Therefore, this is an example [the recent de-escalation in the Belarus-Ukraine border area] of how you can come to an agreement by talking. This suggests that there are enough sensible people in Ukraine. Especially among the military. We arrived at an agreement. I think this is a good example for the Ukrainians. The Russians are ready to sit down at the negotiating table and strike a deal. Negotiate and come to terms. So far, pushed by NATO (we saw this at the recent NATO summit), the Ukrainians are fighting till the last Ukrainian is left standing. It's a shame. Indeed, it is imperative to embark on talks. I think we will soon discuss these problems at a meeting with Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin where we will thrash out our plans going forward,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.