The globally unrecognized Belarusian dictator, instead of talking about his participation in the transfer of Wagner Group members to Putin and answering questions about political prisoners, human rights violations and torture, reminisced about the Minsk talks in 2014-2015.
Back then, the role of Lukashenko was reduced to that of a host state, Ukraine and the civilized world gave him a chance to break out of international isolation.
For the first time in decades, he welcomed dignitaries from Europe in the lobby of his new, pompous presidential palace.
His only “participation” in the events at that time was an official photo with the presidents and the chancellor.
He did not take part in the difficult and exhausting Minsk talks and was not present at any round or any closed meeting.
Therefore, it is very strange to listen to his version of events, which he can only have plucked from the mouth of his sovereign Putin. The whole world knows the “weight” of Putin’s words.
And the truth is written in the memoirs of the direct participants in those dramatic events. French President Francois Hollande recalls how Poroshenko and Putin spoke in harsh tones, then the Kremlin ruler disappeared somewhere in the middle of the night, and it turned out that he just went to bed to exhaust the delegations.
When the text of the far from ideal Minsk agreements was read by all participants in the talks (the presidents of Ukraine, France, Russia, the chancellor of Germany and their delegations were all in the room), after a gruelling discussion on the border point, to Putin was strongly opposed, our European colleagues persuaded us to focus on the cessation of hostilities and to stop the killing of Ukrainians by the occupying forces, and then think about the border. Russia then staged another hysterical rant, demanding that his puppets Zakharchenko and Plotnitsky be present.
He shouted at his court vassal Surkov, who in the Kremlin was one of the developers of the infernal plan to dismember Ukraine. And then his two henchmen arrived from somewhere.
Of course, it was unheard of bring the trashy militants and terrorists before the eyes of presidents and the chancellor. They were not allowed to enter the negotiating room, none of the leaders of the states saw or greeted them.
Hooligans attracted to the Russian Federation, representatives of the Russian Federation, are all present on the document. They signed in the presence of direct members of the TCG – Heidi Tagliavini, who represented the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Russian Ambassador Zurabov and President Leonid Kuchma.
But there was recognition of the so-called Donetsk People Republic in the Minsk document! Despite all Putin’s demands! As well as no legitimization of his hooligans.
In 4 years of work of the groups present in Minsk had to see these characters. As the saying goes, “to a dog a dog’s death.” Plotnitsky disappeared somewhere, Zakharchenko went on an unsuccessful trip to a restaurant, and in Minsk their accomplices shouted at us about the involvement of Ukrainian special services in the incident in Motorola’s elevator, Zakharchenko’s restaurant poisoning, and Givi’s failed stroll. And we were happy.
The only person who saw Zakharchenko/Plotnitsky on the side-lines was Nadia Savchenko, who was released from under Zelensky to build a journalistic career on pro-Kremlin channels.
Lukashenko should talk about his role in trying to legitimize the so called DNR, because on the instructions of the FSB and the Kremlin, Belarus began to recognize the “passports” of these entities and allowed for travel to this country of militants.
The only truth in today’s delusions were the words that “Ukraine has abandoned Russia.”
We outplayed Putin back then in order to give our army an important respite to build back stronger and liberate Ukrainian land step by step