Lukashenko to Putin: Hostilities in Ukraine must end before conflict escalates

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov admitted that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko would discuss the idea of a truce with Ukraine without the right to regroup troops. Putin may discuss Lukashenko's truce proposal at a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State.

"Of course, we heard the statement from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Of course, the two presidents — Putin and Lukashenko — will continue [communication] next week, there will be a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State, and [this] will give the presidents an opportunity to once again talk to each other, for sure they will discuss this topic too," Peskov said.

The Kremlin representative stressed that nothing was changing in the context of Ukraine yet. The the special military operation will continue as this is currently the only way to achieve Russia's goals, Peskov said.

Earlier, Belarus President Lukashenko suggested declaring a truce in Ukraine and banning the movement of equipment and the transfer of weapons from both sides. According to him, one should stop the hostilities before the conflict escalates.

"I will try to risk suggesting a cessation of hostilities,” Lukashenko said in his Address to the National Assembly and the people of Belarus, BELTA news agency reports.

The military on the line of contact "begin to negotiate" between themselves, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said during his address to the people of Belarus and the Parliament.

Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked to comment on Lukashenko's remarks, referred reporters to the Ministry of Defense.

"It is probably better to ask the Ministry of Defense here. Our servicemen involved in the special military operation continue to carry out their tasks," Peskov said.

Earlier, Lukashenko said:

"Those people, who do not understand what they are fighting for, will start negotiating on the line of contact. I am giving you insider information: this has already begun,” Lukashenko said. According to him, it is the mobilized who do the fighting. "They may not be well-trained, often poorly dressed and poorly booted, very often hungry, they rot in trenches. Do they want to fight? They think about their wives, their women and children," he added.

In his annual address, President Lukashenko also said that Western countries were training forces to invade Belarus in order to destroy the country's statehood.