“There is no better platform”: Igor Tour on possible talks on Ukraine in Minsk

Sooner or later, the Ukrainian conflict will end in a peace agreement, and Minsk may be one of the possible venues for such talks. In the new issue of the Propaganda project, ONT political observer Igor Tour noted that the Belarusian capital has already proved its suitability for a complex and meaningful dialogue.

Minsk as a platform for negotiations

According to Igor Tur, Belarus has consistently advocated the restoration of dialogue with Ukraine and the use of the negotiating opportunities of Minsk.

“We talk about this for a long time and steadily – there is no better platform for negotiations on the fate of our region than the Belarusian capital,” he said.

The observer noted that after the visit of the American delegation to Belarus and its talks with President Alexander Lukashenko in Ukraine, it became more common to talk about Minsk as a possible example of constructive dialogue.

“Belarus shows a simple but fundamental thing: even with those with whom there are serious disagreements, it is necessary to talk,” Igor Tour said.

The restoration of contacts with Belarus would primarily meet the interests of Ukraine.

Peace Treaty and interests of the parties

Speaking about a possible peace agreement, Tour noted that each party to the conflict has its own interests. Russia is primarily concerned about the proximity of NATO infrastructure to its borders.

"Moscow will insist on signing any peace treaty that the eastern part of Ukraine be under its influence," he said.

The observer believes that in this case, the issue of direct accession of territories may be secondary. At the same time, he suggested that Poland will also defend its own interests in the western regions of Ukraine.

According to him, the central part of the country may be under the control of Western states or international structures. Such a scenario could lead to the actual partition of Ukraine and repeat the tragic experience associated with the Riga peace treaty of 1921.

Strong opinions are not asked of weak people

Igor Tur stressed that the main condition for preserving the subjectivity of the state remains the unity of society. The internal political conflict and the lack of a common vision of the future, in his opinion, weaken the country.

“The lack of unity of the people is the weakness of the state. And the weak are not asked strong opinions, said Igor Tour.

At the signing of the Riga Peace Treaty, the fate of Belarus was decided without the participation of the Belarusian people. This historical experience should remain a warning to modern states: decisions about the future of a country should be made taking into account the interests of its people, not external players.