Meeting with DPR leader Denis Pushilin

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko met with head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Denis Pushilin in Minsk on 19 September.

“We have been cooperating for a long time. Belarus always cooperated with Donetsk Oblast as part of Ukraine. Amid current complicated, hard times even since that very moment (ten years have already passed), we have not abandoned this cooperation, and we are ready to continue it. Moreover, there are certain achievements, and a certain foundation has been laid,” the Belarusian leader said.

According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, there is a need to move away from all kinds of intermediaries in this cooperation and Belarus is ready to do so. “I was even surprised that we still have them. We are ready to cooperate with you directly,” he said.

"We are told, even by the West that if Belarus cooperates with the DPR, it will not go down well with Ukraine. This is not how it works. We are ready to cooperate with Ukraine on the same terms as with the Donetsk Republic," the head of state said. "We host your children for treatment and recreation. Kids are very happy. However, they threatened me with legal action for allegedly stealing your children. So I told both Ukraine and the USA: please come and find at least one stolen child. It runs contrary to our principles."

"I reaffirm: we will cooperate with you, without violating any international norms and norms of our relations. We work for the sake of people. If you have problems with construction, we will support and help you. If you have problems with medical care or education, we are ready to cooperate with you. We are ready to cooperate with Ukraine on the same terms. Therefore, there are no reasons to accuse us of any wrongdoing. We are peace-loving people. Our friendship and cooperation are based on our commitment to peace," the Belarusian leader emphasized. He added that the DPR can count on Belarus if it sees something in the country that can be used for the restoration and development of the region.

Denis Pushilin thanked Aleksandr Lukashenko for comprehensive assistance, primarily of a humanitarian nature. “We have a lot of points of contact. This is not only a shared history, but also a vision of further development. It is only a strong, prosperous society based on justice. Our task is to build such conditions so that it would not be a shame to pass it on to the next generations. Thank you,” he said.