Belarus says ready to facilitate Ukraine talks

Belarus is ready to facilitate negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov said on Saturday, arguing that a lasting settlement requires addressing the conflict’s “root causes.”

Addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, Ryzhenkov said a sustainable peace would be impossible without addressing issues such as plans to bring Ukraine into NATO and failure to implement the Minsk agreements.

“Let me recall that the implementation of these agreements was sabotaged in order to buy time and allow Ukraine to rearm,” he said.

Ryzhenkov urged the “speedy start of real negotiations” that would lead to a lasting peace, while criticizing continued Western arms supplies to Ukraine.

He also pressed for UN reforms, including expanding the Security Council to give greater representation to countries of the Global South. “The voice of the global majority must be heard loud and clear in the Security Council,” he said.

Ryzhenkov said Belarus considered the UN as the main universal forum for addressing global challenges, but the organization needed to adapt to current international realities.

He called for a broader Eurasian security architecture, saying Minsk remained open to dialogue with Western countries that are willing to engage on an equal basis, and rejected “pressure, dictates, ultimatums and illegal sanctions.”