Opinions & Interviews

FM: Belarus more than anyone wants speedy settlement of conflict in Ukraine

A screenshot of the UN broadcast

MINSK, 21 September (BelTA) - Belarus, more than any other party, is interested in a speedy peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Aleinik said at a meeting of the UN Security Council, BelTA has learned.

“Being in the neighborhood of Ukraine, Belarus, like no other, is interested in the earliest peaceful settlement of this conflict. We, as a neighboring country, also have our own deep view on the conflict. It was in Belarus that the Minsk agreements were signed, which launched the peace process on Ukraine, and the set of measures for their implementation, which was approved by the United Nations Security Council. We believe it necessary to recall this, no matter how much someone wants to keep this topic quiet. The long-awaited result of the negotiations in the Belarusian capital should have become the basis for the peace process in Ukraine. The implementation of the agreements could have put it on a sustainable positive trajectory. However, it didn't happen,” the minister said.

Sergei Aleinik added that today it was obvious why it could not happen: “Western colleagues have spoken eloquently about this issue. Some of them directly stated that they had no intention to end this conflict, and today they intend to wage war to the last Ukrainian.”

According to the Belarusian minister, the attempts of certain players to rewrite the basic principles of international law and international relations for themselves while ignoring the legitimate interests of the majority of members of the world community have led to the highest degree of polarization in the world in general and in the region where Belarus is located.

“The situation is aggravated by aggressive opposition on the part of certain countries, which are accustomed to consider themselves the center of human civilization, the formation of a fair, equitable polycentric model of the world. As a result, the role of the power factor is increasing in international relations. The architecture of international security, non-proliferation and arms control has almost completely collapsed,” Sergei Aleinik pointed out.

Belarus observes with great alertness the disproportionate growth of military potentials and the arms race not only in its region, but also in neighboring countries. At the same time, all the initiatives of Belarus to reduce confrontation, restore trust and strengthen regional security, which were proposed in the past years, remained unanswered. “For some reason it was looked upon from above. As a result, the conflict in Ukraine erupted with renewed vigor in the European region, while the whole world suffered severe consequences in the form of economic, food and energy crises,” the minister said.

In his words, the end of the conflict is inevitable, and it will end at the negotiating table. Belarus welcomes the emergence of a growing number of countries that offer reasonable peace initiatives to resolve the situation in Ukraine. “In conclusion, I would like to reaffirm Belarus' willingness to contribute to the resolution of the situation in order to attain long-term and sustainable peace in the region, which all our countries and our peoples need today,” Sergei Aleinik said.

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