Belarusian President Lukashenko: Ukraine provoked war in Donbas
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview with the Echo of Moscow radio that Ukraine provoked the beginning of the conflict in the Donbas.
"Ukraine framed itself to some extent. Ukraine started to strangle its Russian population through language issues and other things. They started to speak about issues that shouldn't have been raised in Ukraine! Anyway, I'm not justifying Russia now. I do not blame Ukraine. But anyway, Ukraine, provoked this clash, even though giving just a small pretext," said Lukashenko.
The Belarusian President said that he believes that the annexed Crimea is "de facto Russian, but has not been legally formalized," and the Ukrainians "did not defend this land in any way."
During his interview, Lukashenko also said that it would be better if Ukraine pursued the same course that it had after the collapse of the USSR.
In February 2014, armed people in uniforms without insignias appeared in Crimea and captured the Supreme Council of Crimea, the Simferopol Airport, the Kerch ferry crossing and other strategic objects, and prevented the Ukrainian army from taking action. Initially, the Russian government refused to acknowledge that these armed people were Russian soldiers, but President Vladimir Putin later admitted it.
On 16 March 2014, a referendum on the status of Crimea was held in Crimea and Sevastopol, in which the inhabitants supposedly voted for the peninsula to become part of Russia. The outcome of the so-called referendum is not recognized by Ukraine, the EU or the US. On 18 March, Putin announced the “annexation” of Crimea to Russia.
International organizations have declared the annexation illegal and condemned Russia’s actions. Western countries have imposed economic sanctions on Russia in connection with the annexation. Russia claims to have “restored historical justice”. Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, declared 20 February 2014 the start of Russia’s temporary occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol.