Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has communicated to Russian President Vladimir Putin a proposal for initiating peace negotiations, with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko acting as an intermediary. This development follows Lukashenko’s visit to Valdai on June 26, where he met with Putin, though details from both leaders’ press services remain sparse.
Reports indicate that Lukashenko assured both Ukraine and the United States that Belarus would no longer use its relays to assist Russian strikes on Ukraine, which were shut down before Zelensky’s imposed deadline of one week. This crucial action aligns with Zelensky’s previous assertion that these devices were facilitating drone attacks on Ukrainian territories.
During the Valdai meeting, Putin indicated that if talks were to occur, Russia might consider employing Belarusian resources. He mentioned Lukashenko’s readiness to support any measures aimed at resolving disputes through peaceful means.
Post-meeting, Lukashenko is reported to have traveled to China, where a state media outlet quoted President Xi Jinping affirming support for Belarus in defending its national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The context of this sovereignty remains unspecified in the reports.
Background Context
- Although the specific agenda of the meeting between Lukashenko and Putin remains undisclosed, it coincides with speculation regarding Belarus’s potential involvement in the conflict. Zelensky previously stated that four relays in the Gomel and Brest regions were facilitating Russian drone operations targeting Ukrainian energy and railway sectors.
- On June 24, Zelensky announced that, according to military intelligence, the relevant relays in Belarus ceased operating as of June 22.
- Lukashenko also claimed to have met representatives of Zelensky in Minsk.
