Lukashenko: West seeking conflict with Russia, provoking Ukraine war

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Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said Thursday that Russia, Ukraine, and the West must agree to halt the Ukraine war to avoid the "abyss of nuclear war" and stressed that Kiev should accept Moscow's demands.

"We must stop, reach an agreement, end this mess, operation and war in Ukraine," Lukashenko told AFP in an exclusive interview in Minsk.

"Let's stop and then we will figure out how to go on living," he said during the interview at the Palace of Independence.

The leader considered that "There's no need to go further. Further lies the abyss of nuclear war. There's no need to go there."

West provoking the Ukraine war

Lukashenko accused the West of seeking a conflict with Russia and of provoking the Ukraine war.

"You have fomented the war and are continuing it," he said, adding that "We have seen the reasons for this war."

Addressing NATO members, the Belarus President said that "If Russia had not got ahead of you, members of NATO, you would have organized and struck a blow against it."  

Kiev can end war if it re-start talks with Moscow

The 67-year-old leader insisted that Kiev authorities can end the war if they re-start talks with Moscow and accept its demands.

"Everything depends on Ukraine," he said, adding that "Right now, the peculiarity of the moment is that this war can be ended on more acceptable terms for Ukraine."

Lukashenko urged Ukraine to "sit down at the negotiating table and agree that they will never threaten Russia."

War could have been avoided

On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that peace talks with Ukraine "make no sense."

It is noteworthy that the Belarus leader has demanded that his country be included in any talks and a deal to end the war in Ukraine.

Lukashenko insisted that the war could have been avoided if Western countries had given Russian President Vladimir Putin "the security guarantees" he wanted.

"You, members of NATO and Americans, needed war," he concluded.