Vladimir Putin held a joint press conference with Alexander Lukashenko on March 13 during Lukashenko’s official visit to Russia. BelTA published the video recording of the event later that same day. During the press conference, ONT journalist Anna Pyzh asked the Russian president whether Belarus’ interests would be considered in the peace talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States, calling Belarus "Russia’s strategic ally and Ukraine’s closest neighbor." Putin responded that he didn’t understand the question. Lukashenko elaborated:
"This question was pushed by our runaways abroad and their foreign sponsors, saying that Russia will cut a deal with America while Lukashenko gets left out—and so on. And that Belarus’ interests won’t be taken into account. Something along those lines. Well, first of all, I already said I’m not exactly desperate to be there. That’s first. And secondly, someone close to us will be there—our partner, the Russian Federation."
In reality, this question had been raised by Alexander Lukashenko himself. In early April 2022, during a Security Council meeting, he stated: "There can be no negotiations without Belarus. Since we’ve been dragged into this—primarily by Western countries—Belarus’ position must, of course, be heard at the talks."
At a meeting with Belarusian polar explorers in October 2024, he again brought up Belarus' interests in the context of negotiations: "I have always insisted on this—I tell the Ukrainians, I tell the Russians, and I warned Putin that Belarusians must be present at the negotiations on Ukraine. Why? Because this is our problem. I don’t want others making decisions about us without us at the table."
At a meeting with students at Minsk State Linguistic University, Lukashenko also touched on this topic.
"We want to make sure that when agreements are made on Ukraine, our interests are not overlooked," BelTA quoted him as saying in November 2024.
Lukashenko’s stance on protecting Belarus’ interests has been echoed multiple times by officials. For example, Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Ambrazevich said in December 2024: "From the very beginning, we have stated that we claim a seat at the table for peace talks on Ukraine when they begin. It is crucial for us to secure guarantees for our own security. The final agreements must absolutely take Belarus' interests into account as well."
This was exactly what Yuri Groerov, host of the program "In the Know," discussed on March 11, 2025, on BelTA’s YouTube channel with political analyst Pyotr Petrovsky, ahead of Alexander Lukashenko’s visit to Russia.
"So that Belarus' demands aren't left out of the discussion. The president has spoken about this, and our foreign diplomacy is primarily working toward this goal," Petrovsky said.
By Belarus' interests, Petrovsky meant guarantees against an attack on the country, the return of confiscated Belarusian property in Ukraine, and continued access to local ports.
