The key facts

  • Alexander Volfovich declared Minsk's readiness to provide Ukraine with civilian-type assistance
  • The statement was made at the 14th meeting of the secretaries of security councils of CIS states
  • On November 3, Lukashenko suggested the conflict could end in the coming months and proposed Minsk as a negotiating venue

Volfovich's statement at the CIS platform

State Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus Alexander Volfovich said that Minsk is ready to provide Ukraine with civilian-type assistance. The remark was made on the sidelines of the 14th meeting of the secretaries of the security councils of the CIS member states, as Gazeta.Ru reports citing TASS. According to Volfovich, it is Belarus that is currently taking all necessary measures to stabilize the situation in Ukraine.

Readiness for contacts with the West

“We are ready for other contacts, ready to provide Ukraine with civilian-type assistance. Yes, this is visible, but, apparently, European politicians are not interested in it,” the source quoted Volfovich as saying. He also stated that Minsk is ready for contacts with the West on stabilizing the situation in the region, recalling Poland's attempt to resume dialogue on the UN platform.

Context: Lukashenko's statements

The Security Council secretary's statement came against the backdrop of recent remarks by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. On November 3, he said that the conflict in Ukraine could end in the coming months, and proposed Minsk as a venue for negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. Earlier, Lukashenko also spoke of a “terrible new level of war” in Ukraine. Thus, Minsk's recent statements combine readiness for civilian assistance and contacts with the West with the offer of its own negotiating platform; the publications do not specify exactly what kind of civilian assistance is meant.