Lukashenko pitches Belarusian troops as Ukraine peacekeepers
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko proposed sending Belarusian troops to Ukraine to serve as a peacekeeping contingent. "Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to support the arrival of Western troops," Lukashenko stated.
The Belarusian dictator, who assisted Putin in attacking Ukraine in February 2022, claimed that he could send his troops to Ukraine as a peacekeeping force.
"As for Russia and Western peacekeeping forces on the front line, it is a matter for the Russian President. I don't think he would be thrilled. They [the Ukrainian authorities] want it to be a five-digit number—50,000 to 70,000 people. This is an army, a decent army," Lukashenko remarked.
"Only Minsk will be able to ensure normal relations"
In his opinion, Moscow and Kyiv "in the name of good and justice" can only agree on the presence of Belarusian peacekeeping forces, as soldiers from other countries "would only lean toward the West or the East."
"Only Minsk will be able to ensure normal relations between the 'middle and older brother,'" said the self-proclaimed president of Belarus.
However, Lukashenko immediately added, "This does not mean that I will send my army as peacekeeping forces, 70,000 and position them there."
He mentioned he is "not eager" to send soldiers to Ukraine and currently has no plans to send "his people" there. However, he noted that the issue of introducing peacekeeping forces to Ukraine will be the subject of "very serious discussion."
"Whoever is weaker will agree to these options," Lukashenko concluded.
Peacekeeping forces in Ukraine: Up to 220,000 soldiers
Previously, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that after the end of hostilities, at least 220,000 peacekeeping forces would be needed to ensure the country's security.
"This is the minimum; otherwise, it will fail," he emphasized. Later, participants in consultations between Kyiv and its Western partners informed the Financial Times that Ukrainian authorities expect the West to deploy 40,000 to 50,000 foreign soldiers along the 620-mile front line as part of resolving the conflict with Russia.
According to data from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), former U.S. President Donald Trump showed interest in introducing peacekeeping forces to Ukraine but excluded the involvement of the American army. In his opinion, the primary role in defending and supporting Ukraine should belong to Europe. Meanwhile, Zelensky insisted that American soldiers become part of the peacekeeping contingent to be deployed in the country.
The first proposal to send Western troops to Ukraine last February came from French President Emmanuel Macron. After this, European countries began discussing the possibility of taking such a step in case of halting military actions to monitor the observance of a ceasefire.
Later, information emerged that EU countries are conducting specific negotiations on sending a military contingent to Ukraine in the event of ending or freezing the war with Russia. According to Reuters sources, the minimum number for such a mission could be 40,000 soldiers, including contingents from five to eight countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Poland. European security services believe that to protect Ukraine against a recurrence of Russian aggression, 110,000 soldiers would be needed.
