Moscow considers Minsk the best location for potential trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, commenting on Prime Minister Alexander Lukashenko’s proposal to host peace negotiations in the Belarusian capital between the three countries.
Lukashenko is a close ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin and his country is under US and European sanctions over its support for Russia’s military action in Ukraine and a government crackdown on the opposition. Russia used Belarusian territory to send some troops into Ukraine in 2022.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
He said he believes that Belarus is the natural meeting point for US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Putin to discuss ending the war.
Lukashenko offered to host Russia-Ukraine peace talks that could involve US officials in an interview published on Wednesday.
“This issue has not been raised or discussed in any way. But, of course, for us, Minsk is the best place. It is our key ally, so it is the best venue for negotiations,” Peskov stated, per Meduza.
“Tell Trump that I expect him here with Putin and Zelensky,” Lukashenko proposed in a video interview with US blogger Mario Nawfal, as reported by the state news agency Belta.
Peskov stated that the Kremlin views Zelensky’s readiness for negotiations positively, as announced earlier by Trump in his address to the US Congress.
A Sober Look at the State of Ukraine’s Peace Negotiations
However, he noted that the key issue remains who to negotiate with, as Ukraine still has a legal restriction preventing the president from holding talks with Russia, Peskov said. While the overall stance is positive, Peskov emphasized that this legal barrier has not changed.
The release of the interview with Lukashenko came after Trump said on Tuesday that Zelensky informed him that Kyiv is ready for talks with Russia and to finalize a US minerals deal, just days after their tense White House meeting.
These statements come days after a tense and public confrontation between Zelensky and Trump in the Oval Office on Friday, after which the US President cut the meeting short, claiming that the Ukrainian leader is “not ready” for peace with Russia.
Speaking to Ukrainians on the streets of Kyiv late Tuesday night, March 4, Zelensky said that Ukraine and America “deserve a respectful dialogue.”
“Today, many people have one question: What will happen next with American help? I have instructed the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, the heads of our intelligence services, and diplomats to contact their [counterparts] in the United States and receive official information,” Zelensky said.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
