Belarus’ Lukashenko says both sides must compromise to end Russia-Ukraine war

MINSK: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, one of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin’s closest allies, said in an interview published on Monday that Russia and Ukraine must compromise to end the war that has raged for more than four years with no end in sight.

Lukashenko told Al Arabiya television that it was clear that victory on the battlefield was unrealistic for both sides, though he said Russian forces were still advancing.

“Today, we need to use any steps to reach a peaceful agreement through compromises. For the long term,” he said in the interview, which was republished by Belarus’ Belta news agency.

“If they realise on both sides … you can’t go further, otherwise there will be escalation and an even worse situation … If this sinks into the minds of the fighters and their supporters, it means a compromise can be reached.”

Belarus allowed Russia to use its territory for the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and has allowed Moscow to deploy nuclear weapons on its soil.

Russia’s initial thrust towards Kyiv failed, and for most of the past four years it has been making incremental gains in the south and east at massive cost in troops and equipment.

Lukashenko said a military solution was impossible in both conflicts in Ukraine and Iran.

“Neither side has a military solution. There is no military solution in Ukraine or in the Middle East,” he said.

While Russian forces were “advancing step-by-step” in the face of stout Ukrainian defence, both sides faced a shortage of troops, he said.

“Russians are experiencing this shortage. Maybe not like in Ukraine, but it’s there. But that’s the main issue of this conflict – they are running out of people,” Lukashenko said.

Lukashenko has repeatedly said Belarusian forces would not be deployed in the conflict in Ukraine, while adding that Russia and Belarus would jointly defend themselves.

Zelenskiy says Ukrainian forces have improved their battlefield positions in recent months and suggested that fresh Russian attacks could be staged from Belarusian territory.

In his comments to Al Arabiya, Lukashenko said Ukraine had nothing to fear from his country.

“Absolutely nothing to fear. Absolutely. They know it, the soldiers know it. The people of Ukraine know it,” he said. “This topic gets stirred up by political ambitions.”

US-brokered talks have stalled with Washington focused on the Iran conflict. Zelenskiy has repeatedly called for talks with Putin.