Lukashenko's call to Ukraine: 'Do not sacrifice people for the sake of land'."
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko called on the Ukrainian government not to send thousands of people to their deaths every day for territorial gains. Stating that it is a good time to end the conflict, Lukashenko warned that the priorities of the USA may change and Ukraine may be left alone.
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko called on the Ukrainian government to "not send thousands of people to their deaths every day for the sake of land".
Meeting with Kirov Oblast Governor Aleksandr Sokolov, Lukashenko stated that there is now a suitable opportunity to end the armed conflict "more than ever". BelTA agency conveyed the details of the meeting.
“People will decide, not land”
Stating that the issues cannot be solved by gaining land "part from there, one piece from here", Lukashenko emphasized that people will decide where to live. According to the Belarusian leader, it is not the land or land that determines everything.
Lukashenko said, "If they feel comfortable with Russia as in Crimea and other regions, they will live there. They live in Russia and understand that even in difficult times, as Russia works there, someone can help them more. If they want to stay in Ukraine, no one can keep them. Time will pass and everything will fall into place" he said.
Defending that Ukraine should start from this reality, Lukashenko said, "This should be seen instead of sending thousands, thousands of people to death every day. There are millions of people who fled Ukraine and may not return even in peacetime. This is what should be seen as a priority.”
“The United States may forget Ukraine”
Warning that the US may change its priorities and "forget Ukraine", the Belarusian President stated that the Kiev administration should focus on the future.
"I always imply to Ukrainians as much as possible: In the post-war period, no one will help them but us," Lukashenko said.
Signals from Zelenskiy and Western media
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy had previously expressed the possibility of a referendum on the withdrawal of troops from Donbass and the establishment of a demilitized zone.
However, Zelenskiy stated that the question of who would rule this region had not yet been resolved and insisted on the withdrawal of Russian soldiers from the Kharkov, Dnieper and Sumi oblasts.
Die Welt correspondent Steffen Schwarzkopf, in his report on January 18, based on an "extremely influential" Ukrainian MP, said that the parliament was ready to give up its claims on Donbass and compromise "even if it is very painful".
Earlier, the Financial Times wrote in its news, which it based on European Commission members, that Kiev can only go to land concessions in exchange for full EU membership.
Putin: The root causes of the conflict for peace must disappear
Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, emphasized that the main causes of the conflict should be eliminated in order to achieve peace in Ukraine. Among these reasons, Putin counts "the West's continuous attempts to attract Ukraine to NATO".
Moscow also requires the withdrawal of Ukrainian soldiers from the Donbass republics and Zaporojye and Herson oblasts; the recognition of these regions and Crimea as Russian territory. Putin underlined that Moscow would achieve its goals by diplomatic or other means.