Belarus president: Ukraine must exist as sovereign, independent state

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has said that Ukraine must exist as a sovereign and independent state, urging an end to the ongoing war in the country.

The United States recognises Belarus’ potential role in the peace process for resolving the conflict in Ukraine, President Alexander Lukashenko said during a meeting on global international affairs and the development of Belarusian-American relations, Caliber.Az reports, citing BELTA.

“I believe that as Russia’s closest ally, Belarus is assigned a certain role in resolving the Ukrainian crisis and shaping the architecture of regional security. The Americans have noticed us in this process. We have specific capabilities and potential,” Lukashenko stated.

“If the Americans want to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and see even a small role for us in that process, we are ready to take part,” he added.

The Belarusian leader stressed that Minsk has long and consistently called for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

“We have made our position clear: peace, peace, and only peace. Ukraine must exist as a sovereign and independent state. We are in favor of stopping the war now; otherwise, this independent and sovereign state may disappear,” Lukashenko said.

By Khagan Isayev