Path to de-escalation: Political scientist on Lukashenko’s talks with West
The talks between Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko and representatives of the West may pave the way for de-escalation in the region, political scientist Piotr Petrovsky said in a new episode of the V Teme [On Point] project on BelTA’s YouTube channel.
A reminder, at the Dazhynki 2024 harvest festival the Belarusian leader shared tidbits of his non-public four-hour talks with representatives of Western states.
“It would be wrong to think that there were no consultations with the West. The West itself emphasized that it wanted these consultations. Even when they were piling on sanctions, they still were holding consultations. Let's recall Merkel's call in 2021. No secret was made of it. There is another important point: these contacts are intensifying along different communication channels,” said Piotr Petrovsky.
He believes that the reason for the intensification of these contacts was the West's fatigue and disillusionment in the Ukraine conflict. “They set some goals, wanted to take things by storm, but they failed to punch above their weight,” he remarked.
To illustrate his point, the political scientist cited the example of Poland and Germany, where large industrial enterprises are shutting down: “In other words, we see incremental de-industrialization of the European Union.”
Returning to the topic of negotiations, Piotr Petrovsky said that Belarus can use this to strengthen communication channels and de-escalate the situation around Belarus. “This is the path to de-escalation and demilitarization. After all, international agreements have been trampled, and troops have been amassed at our border. This is not okay. Generally speaking, Ukraine is a gray zone that defies international agreements. And here it is very important to expand and deepen these consultations to achieve peace and de-escalation,” the political scientist remarked.