Uladzimir Matskevich: Minsk can’t and won’t play the role of peacemaker

However, to emphasize the neutral status of our country, Belarusan propaganda might use the fact that negotiations to settle the situation in the eastern Ukraine are held at the Belarusan territory.

Ukrainian President had addressed Aliaksandr Lukashenka with a plea to facilitate negotiations of the 3-sided contact group on solution of the Donbas situation on July 31 in Minsk, with participation of Ukraine's former President Leonid Kuchma, Russia's Ambassador Mikhail Zurabov and an OSCE representative. Belarusan side heard the plea to “hold negotiations with participation of all the interested parties on settling the crisis in Ukraine”, and Lukashenka gave his consent to that.

The telephone conversation between Poroshenko and Lukashenka took place in the evening on July 29.

We are witnesses to the geopolitical game, which drags the official Minsk in as well. What is the essence of it? EuroBelarus Information Servicetalks about it with Uladzimir Matskevich, the head of the Board of the International Consortium “EuroBelarus”.

 - Who and what for did initiate this game with the participation of the official Minsk?

- I don’t quite understand the keen interest that Belarus in regard to this problem – it is only Ukrainian situation. Both Europeans and Ukrainians insist on holding negotiations so that to be able to persuade the gunmen lay down arms or at least stop using civilians as a human shield. However, some insist on withholding from negotiations with separatists, as such negotiations are considered as one of the elements of the anti-terror operation (ATO).

We certainly should hold negotiations with participation of Ukraine's representative Leonid Kuchma, Russia's Ambassador Mikhail Zurabov and an OSCE representative. But the place where these negotiations are to take place is not important. Belarus didn’t get any invitation to take part in settling the conflict in the eastern Ukraine: neither there are any grounds for that nor Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s influence is suitable for the role of a peacemaker. Besides, Belarusan state hasn’t yet provided its clear stance on Ukraine.

No one is going to ask Belarus’ help. Such negotiations can be held in any country of the world. But it is very suitable to hold negotiations in Belarus: first of all, from the point of view of distance, secondly, there is no need to use neither Ukraine nor Russia. Thus, Belarus is not a party to negotiations, it has just agreed to provide its territory.

- Lukashenka has agreed to offer Belarus’ territory as an area for negotiations on Ukraine. But to what extent is Minsk independent in defining its politics towards Ukraine? Does it have enough competence to make such decisions?

- Belarus has just agreed to provide its territory for negotiations, and such decisions lie within Lukashenka’s capacities. Poroshenko suggested this variant because of the other side of conflict – Russia.

- Both Kremlin and Kiev were rather apprehensive about this initiative. Sergey Lavrov expressed his gratefulness to Lukashenka for the provided opportunity, adding that one meeting in not enough. One of the parties to the negotiations, Ukraine's former President Leonid Kuchma also said that there is nothing to talk about with Russia, but if Belarus is a mediator in the talks between Kremlin and Kiev, it is quite acceptable. Why is the reaction so contradictory?

- Ukraine doesn’t have a shared viewpoint regarding negotiations with bandits. There are those who insist on negotiations with them, and those, who believe that negotiations are needless and stand for the speed-up for the anti-terror operation and quick liquidation of tinderbox at the east of Ukraine. The opinion of those who are against such negotiations has more sense: ATO is to end as soon as possible – the war at the east of Ukraine poses bigger threat not only for civilians, but as the destruction of the Malaysian Boeing-777 demonstrates, for the third parties.

Besides, the format of the current negotiations is very odd: It is unclear whether Mikhail Zurabov being a Russia's Ambassador can represent terroristic organizations “Donetsk People’s Republic” and “Lugansk People’s Republic”. Russia doesn’t admit that it is a full party to the conflict, and whatever Zurabov signs, these agreements are optional for Girkyn to execute, which has already been demonstrated. Thus, the result of such negotiations is dubious.

There is no representation of terrorists at these negotiations; however, they will, obviously, be present at them in some form. It would be very awkward to host war criminals for any European country: either they have to be arrested or special diplomatic guarantees are to be provided for them.

But it is of no problem for Belarus: bandits, terrorists, dictators, convicted to life imprisonment in their home country, have long ago found shelter there. That is why Belarus is a very handy place for such negotiations.

- What interest does Minsk have in this game? Of course, it has always been prestigious to be a peacemaker. However, there is a risk that no matter what the results of the negotiations will be, Belarus might be dragged in the Russia-Ukraine war even more.

- Minsk can’t and won’t play the role of peacemaker! A lot of countries at war come to the neutral Switzerland for negotiations, but there is no saying that Switzerland is a mediator in such negotiations.

There won’t happen any more dragging into the war for Belarus; being Russia’s political and military ally, Belarus is already in it to the full. Because of high dependence on Russia, Belarus will experience all the consequences of economic and political sanctions, which the EU and the US introduced against Russia on July 29, even though Belarusan officials and companies are not direct recipients of the sanctions. Lukashenka doesn’t want it to happen, and for that reason he disagrees to introduce sanctions against Ukraine within the Customs Union.

It is rather to emphasize the neutral status of our country that propaganda, including Belarusan propaganda might use the fact that negotiations to settle the situation in the eastern Ukraine are held at the Belarusan territory. If Belarus uses this card, it will be good for the country.