Belarus leader urges talks between Russia and Ukraine to end protracted war
- 31 October, 16:14
Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko, who is Vladimir Putin’s close ally, has called on Russia and Ukraine to engage in negotiations to end the protracted conflict that has entered a stalemate.
“There are enough problems on both sides and in general the situation is now seriously stalemate: no one can do anything and substantively strengthen or advance their position,” Lukashenko said in a video posted on the website of the Belarusian state news agency BelTA. The Belarusian leader emphasized the importance of addressing Ukraine's call for Russia to withdraw from its territory through diplomatic means so that "nobody dies."
Minsk has been supporting Moscow’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine that started last year. Belarus has also allowed Russia to use its territory to attack neighbouring Ukraine. The two countries have also held joint military drills on the Ukrainian border.
Lukashenko's comments come amid two-day peace plan talks that kicked off in Malta on October 28, with the participation of 66 countries. Russia and Belarus didn't participate in Ukraine’s talks.
Addressing the talks in Malta, Zelenskiy praised the international unity over the war in Ukraine.
"The unity of all who help Ukraine defeat Ruscism. And we will defeat it. For sure. And the unity of everyone in the world who works together with us, together with all our partners, to restore the strength of international law and the real weight of the principles and norms of the UN Charter,” stressed Zelenskiy.
