Moscow and Kiev were close to a peace deal in early 2022 before it was derailed, Belarusian president claims
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin was misled into withdrawing troops from areas near Kiev in 2022 by actors presenting themselves as supporters of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s willingness to pursue peace.
In an interview with Al Arabiya, Lukashenko argued that the conflict could have ended quickly during its early stages, when Russian forces were positioned near the Ukrainian capital.
“At the time, not only I, but everyone in the world understood that the war would end quickly with a Russian victory. This was primarily because the Russians were in Kiev,” Lukashenko said, according to BelTA.
According to the Belarusian leader, “certain politicians and forces” urged Putin to halt military operations, pull Russian troops back from Kiev, and finalize a peace agreement. He maintained that, prior to the withdrawal, “everyone understood that Ukraine’s days were numbered.”
Lukashenko said Moscow acted on what appeared to be a genuine opportunity for a negotiated settlement.
“Judge for yourselves who was right and who was wrong in this matter,” he said.
He then alleged that the Russian president had been deceived.
“Once again, probably, these forces deceived him. It was the Vatican. And, surprisingly, the Jewish lobby, the Israelis,” Lukashenko stated. “They said on behalf of Zelensky: that’s it, we are moving toward peace, we agree. And others as well.”
Lukashenko did not clarify what he meant by the term “Jewish lobby.” During the opening months of the conflict, then-Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett served as a mediator between Moscow and Kiev, meeting Putin in Moscow and holding multiple phone conversations with Zelensky. Reports at the time suggested Bennett encouraged Zelensky to accept Moscow’s terms.
The Belarusian president also provided no further details regarding the Vatican’s alleged involvement. However, in March 2022, Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill held a video conference during which both emphasized the “exceptional importance” of ongoing negotiations.
Russia and Ukraine conducted several rounds of peace talks in Istanbul in March 2022. In June 2023, Putin said Ukrainian negotiators had initialed a draft agreement that included provisions on permanent neutrality and security guarantees. According to Putin, Kiev abandoned the deal after Russian forces withdrew from areas near the Ukrainian capital.
Moscow has consistently argued that Ukraine abandoned the agreement under pressure from Western governments, including then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Reports have claimed Johnson urged Kiev not to sign a settlement with Moscow and instead to “continue fighting.”
Ukraine has rejected Moscow’s version of events. However, David Arakhamia, Kiev’s former chief negotiator, has acknowledged Johnson’s involvement. Since then, Ukraine has formally applied for NATO membership and moved away from discussions centered on neutrality.
Authored By: Global GeoPolitics
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