Belarus' Lukashenko says Ukraine-Russia war at stalemate, urges talks

29 October 2023 - 08:47 By Reuters
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko speaks to Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, on February 17 2023. File photo,
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko speaks to Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, on February 17 2023. File photo,
Image: Sputnik/Vladimir Astapkovich/Kremlin via REUTERS

Russia and Ukraine are locked in a stalemate on the frontlines of their war and the two sides need to sit down and negotiate an end to the conflict, Alexander Lukashenko, the authoritarian leader of Belarus and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said over the weekend.

"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.

"They're there head-to-head, to the death, entrenched. People are dying."

Russian forces have kept pushing this week near the ruined Donetsk city of Avdiivka suffering heavy losses, the US White House said, but the vast frontline in Ukraine has moved little in the past year despite Kyiv's gruelling months-long offensive.

Lukashenko, who has provided his country's territory as a launch pad for Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, said that Ukraine's demands for Russia to quit its territory needs to be resolved at the negotiating table "so nobody dies".

"We need to sit down at the negotiating table and come to an agreement," Lukashenko said in a question and answer video posted on the website of the Belarusian state news agency BelTA.

"As I once said: no preconditions are needed. The main thing is that the 'stop' command is given."

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated on Saturday at a gathering of over 60 national security advisers that his 10-point peace plan, which includes calls for the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, is the only way to end the war.


subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.