Lukashenko Calls for Negotiations on Settling Ukraine Crisis

As the Belarusian president stressed, in a situation that "the West again tries to use the pause for strengthening its positions by deceit, Russia must employ the entire power of its defense industry and army to prevent the conflict escalation"

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko BelTA/TASS

MINSK, March 31. /TASS/. Negotiations on settling the Ukraine crisis should start as soon as possible, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in his address to the nation and the parliament on Friday.

"It is necessary to start the negotiations today, not tomorrow. Today, while it is possible. It is necessary to stop now until an escalation begins," the Belarusian leader stressed.

Lukashenko suggested halting the hostilities in Ukraine "without the right of troop movement and regrouping by both sides, without the right to move weapons and ammunition, manpower and equipment."

As the Belarusian president stressed, in a situation that "the West again tries to use the pause for strengthening its positions by deceit, Russia must employ the entire power of its defense industry and army to prevent the conflict escalation."

West's desire to subjugate world triggered conflicts of past decades — Lukashenko

The Belarusian leader added that Washington’s policies had placed "self-sufficient, in some respects very strong and truly independent states under external administration"

MINSK, March 31. /TASS/. The hot conflicts of the past few decades began with the West's irrepressible desire to subjugate the world, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in an address to the Belarusian people and parliament on Friday.

"What started the hot conflicts of recent decades? It was the irrepressible desire of the West to subjugate the whole world. And not even of the West - of just one country," said Lukashenko.

He added that Washington’s policies had placed "self-sufficient, in some respects very strong and truly independent states under external administration." According to the Belarusian leader, the American influence "penetrated into the political life of this or that country like a virus either through the incumbent authorities or through the opposition."

"As a rule, through the elites, bogged down in rampant corruption," said Lukashenko.

People of Ukraine need peace, but West does not care — Lukashenko

The Belarusian president recalled that at a certain point he "tried to turn the president of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky the right way"

MINSK, March 31. /TASS/. The people of Ukraine need peace, but no one in the West cares a bit, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in his address to the Belarusian people and parliament on Friday.

"Don’t the people of Ukraine need peace? But no one cares about the opinion of the people," said Lukashenko.

The Belarusian president recalled that at a certain point he "tried to turn the president of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky the right way."

"I told Zelensky: a war is underway on your territory. In due time, the people will ask you why you didn't stop the war," Lukashenko added.

World War III with nuclear fires looms on horizon — Belarus' Lukashenko

The president warned that if the West once again tried to use a pause in hostilities to gain a stronger foothold by deception, as it had already happened before, Russia would be obliged to use all the strength of its military-industrial complex and army to prevent an escalation of the Ukrainian conflict

MINSK, March 31. /TASS/. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said that a third world war with nuclear fires is looming on the horizon and negotiations are the sole means of avoiding it.

"Through the efforts of the U.S. and its satellites, a full-scale war has been unleashed in a neighboring country to the last Ukrainian. <...> World War III with nuclear fires is looming on the horizon," he said in his address to the Belarusian people and parliament on Friday. It can be avoided only by means of negotiations, he said.

"You all understand and know: there is only one way - through negotiations. Talks without preconditions," Lukashenko, stressed.

He warned that if the West once again tried to use a pause in hostilities to gain a stronger foothold by deception, as it had already happened before, Russia would be obliged to use all the strength of its military-industrial complex and army to prevent an escalation of the Ukrainian conflict.

Belarus to manage all weapons deployed in the country, Lukashenko says

According to the president, a storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus will be complete by July 1

MINSK, March 31. /TASS/. Minsk will control all weapons, deployed on Belarusian territory, President Alexander Lukashenko said Friday.

"You have asked a question that is not being discussed publicly," the president said, answering a reporter’s question on use of nuclear weapons. "This is a totally classified topic - how we will use it. As for management, control and so on of nuclear weapons… […] There are no unsupervised weapons in Belarus, and there cannot be any. So everything that is present in Belarus will be managed by us here."

On March 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia will deploy its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus under the republic’s request, like the US do on their allies’ territory. Moscow has already handed over the Iskander system, which can launch missiles with nuclear payload. According to the president, a storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus will be complete by July 1.