Putin, Belarusian leaders suggest 2022 Istanbul draft deal can be foundation for peace talks with Ukraine

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - The 2022 Istanbul draft agreement between Russia and Ukraine could be a basis for peace talks, according to the Russian and Belarusian presidents.

Speaking at a meeting in Moscow late Thursday with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, Belarusian leader Aleksander Lukashenko suggested taking the document that was agreed upon during a series of negotiations in Türkiye to facilitate reconciliation.

"Yes, and work with it. This is a reasonable position. It contains a position acceptable for Ukraine, they accepted this position," Putin agreed.

Putin noted that work on that draft started in Belarus, lasted for quite a while and was finished in Istanbul, where it was preliminary signed by the head of the Ukrainian delegation, David Arkhamia.

"As you know, later, under pressure from the West, the Ukrainian side opted out of these agreements. I would like to remind you that at the time we were told that we could not sign the document in this manner, that Ukraine could not sign the document ‘with a gun to its head’ that we had to withdraw our troops from Kyiv. So, we did. Immediately after we did that, our agreements were thrown in the trash," he said.

Regarding the upcoming peace conference on Ukraine in Switzerland, Putin noted that Russia was not invited, despite its significant stake in the conflict.

"Since we are not going there -- it has now turned into a kind of eerie show. They say that we refuse to negotiate. We were not invited, but they say that we refuse," he said. "In general, as you know, we have never rejected a peaceful settlement of disputes. Moreover, this is what we were inclined to do. It was not Russia that started this war in 2014. Everything began with a coup d’etat in Ukraine.”

Addressing Russia's strike on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, Putin clarified that such actions were taken in response to strikes on Russian facilities and aimed to demilitarize Ukraine rather than escalate the conflict.

"I think they -- or at least the opposite side -- has driven itself into a corner, to a certain extent, by refusing to negotiate, expecting to defeat Russia on the battlefield, to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. Now, having understood that this is impossible and having refused to negotiate, they have found themselves in a predicament," he said.

Putin said Russia's goal "is not putting everyone in a tough spot, just the opposite," it is ready for a "constructive effort" but will resist attempts at imposing conditions "detached from reality."

Lukashenko highlighted the challenging situation on the Belarusian border with Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, accusing neighboring countries of irresponsibly handling the influx of migrants.

Both leaders dismissed claims of aggressive intentions toward Europe, emphasizing their focus on addressing domestic challenges rather than engaging in military expansionism and criticized attempts to portray Russia and Belarus as threats, attributing such narratives to political agendas, promoted to justify expenses for war in Ukraine.