MINSK. Jan 27 (Interfax) - Belarusian peacekeepers could have a role in the Ukraine settlement process, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said, adding he does not believe that the West and Ukraine would agree to that.
"If this is done in the name of trust and justice, then they there is the Belarusian army. This does not mean that I will send my army, 70,000 troops, as peacekeepers there. Yet Belarusians are the only ones to make sure that everything goes as agreed. There is no one else. Any other will be drawn either to the West or to the East," Lukashenko said at a press conference after voting in the Belarusian presidential election on Sunday. Belarus' First News Channel aired the press conference live.
"Please understand that I am not eager to go there and, most likely, am not going to send my people, peacekeepers, there. I am not going to. Still, Belarusians are the only ones who can ensure normal relations between the middle and elder brothers," Lukashenko said.
"The arguing will be very serious if a decision is made to deploy a peacekeeping contingent. Whoever is weaker will agree to these options," Lukashenko said. He believes that the West "seeks to push for its own," but the Russian leadership does not like that.
"As to Russia and [Western] peacekeepers on the contact line, this is the Russian president's business. I do not think he will be happy. Still, it will be decided at negotiations whether any peacekeepers are sent there. They [the West] want a five-digit number, 50,000 to 70,000 troops. This is an army, this is quite a big army," Lukashenko said.