The leader of the Belarusian opposition, Sviatlana Tihanovskaya, expressed support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision not to hold negotiations with representatives of the Russian Federation on Belarusian territory. She noted that Alexander Lukashenko’s regime cannot be considered neutral on matters of war, as Belarus is directly involved in the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Tihanovskaya’s Position and Kyiv’s Arguments
Sviatlana Tihanovskaya emphasized that the Belarusian leader is a co-aggressor in the war initiated by Vladimir Putin, and that holding peace negotiations in Belarus cannot be a fair choice for Ukraine. She stressed that the Belarusian people are not responsible for the decisions of Lukashenko’s regime, and that the Belarusian opposition continues to support Ukraine and fight for a democratic Belarus.
“President Zelensky is right to reject Russia’s proposal to hold peace negotiations in Belarus. Lukashenko is not a neutral player – he is a co-aggressor in Putin’s war. This is not the decision of the Belarusians. We support Ukraine and fight for a free, peaceful, and democratic Belarus.”
Suggestions for Alternative Venues for Negotiations
Volodymyr Zelensky, in his statement, confirmed his readiness for negotiations at the level of heads of state from Ukraine, the USA, and the Russian Federation, but emphasized that Ukraine cannot agree to hold a meeting in Belarus due to its role in the invasion of Russian troops in 2022. As an alternative, he proposed neutral venues, including Turkey, Switzerland, and the Vatican.
On May 11, Vladimir Putin proposed to hold direct negotiations in Istanbul on May 15, without any preconditions, responding to the initiative of the USA, Ukraine, and European allies regarding an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. However, this proposal was not accepted by the Russian leader.
Zelensky emphasized his readiness for a personal meeting with Putin. Additionally, US President Donald Trump stated that he could attend negotiations between Ukraine and the Russian Federation depending on their progress.
The Kremlin initially did not confirm Putin’s participation in the negotiations, and only on the evening of May 14 announced the composition of the delegation without him.
As a result, the negotiations took place at the delegation level, but no significant breakthrough was achieved. The parties only agreed on a prisoner exchange in the format of one thousand for one thousand, which was completed on May 25.