Belarusian President Lukashenko invites Putin, Zelensky, and Trump to meet in Belarus for negotiations to end the war.

[AbdulQadir7]

In midst of increased tensions and diplomatic efforts to end the war, which has been going on since 2014 and intensified dramatically in February 2022, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and President Donald Trump to meet in Minsk for negotiations aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Russian 2014 annexation of Crimea and subsequent backing of separatist organizations in eastern Ukraine marked the start of the Ukrainian conflict, when Russia launched a military invasion in February 2022, the situation turned into a full-scale conflict, significant human misery, economic disruption and geopolitical tensions between Russia and Western countries have all been brought on by the fighting.

Lukashenko's invitation shows that he is prepared to help the main players in the conflict have a conversation. He stressed that negotiations must be peaceful and productive, saying, Come to Minsk, sit down, no noise, no shouting, we'll make a deal. Although, he offered to organize talks, Lukashenko made it clear that he is willing to create a forum for discussions but does not want to serve as a mediator.

By placing sanctions on Russia and giving Ukraine military support, United States has played a significant role in the global response to the crisis. In an effort to coerce Zelensky into engaging in peace talks, United States has recently frozen military supplies to Ukraine, this choice has generated controversy since some believe it compromises Ukrainian self-defense.

Throughout the crisis, Belarus and Russia have remained close, enabling Russian forces to conduct combat operations against Ukraine from Belarusian soil. Despite this alliance, Lukashenko has stated that he wants to use his proximity to Ukraine and his friendship with Putin to help broker peace negotiations.

Reactions to Lukashenko's suggestion have been conflicting, given Belarus's strong ties to Russia, some doubt its impartiality while others view Minsk as a potential venue for peace talks because of its past role in holding them, despite the difficulties in reaching an agreement that guarantees Ukraine's security and sovereignty, Zelensky has stated his willingness to engage in peace talks.