According to the world media, the pause in the negotiation process to resolve the situation in Ukraine, which arose against the background of the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, has been delayed somewhat. Indeed, diplomatic activity in this area was observed mainly in late January and early February of this year, when three rounds of trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States were held in Abu Dhabi and Geneva.
Today, thanks to the same global media, public attention after the failure of the US-Iranian talks in Islamabad is focused on observing the ceasefire regime imposed as a result of the agreement reached between the United States and Iran, and the naval blockade by the US Navy of all ships entering and exiting Iran's ports.
Nevertheless, the Kremlin has repeatedly stressed that even under the current conditions, Moscow and Kiev continue to cooperate on humanitarian issues, including the exchange of prisoners and bodies of the dead. For example, last week, on April 9, Russia and Ukraine exchanged the bodies of dead soldiers for the third time this year. The previous exchanges took place on February 26 and at the end of January.
In addition, the negotiation topic itself is also not removed from the agenda. At one time, President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said that Russia is committed to a negotiated solution and achieving its goals through diplomatic means. For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, during a recent press conference following his official visit to China (April 14-15), stated that "the Russian Federation remains interested in continuing the negotiation process with the participation of the United States to resolve the armed conflict in Ukraine." In other words, it is assumed that the United States will continue to be an intermediary.
At the same time, contacts between Moscow and Washington on the Ukrainian issue continue informally and confidentially. This was repeatedly mentioned by the press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov. He also described future negotiations with the Ukrainian side as "very difficult, meticulous and slow."
At the same time, as the RIA Novosti news agency pointed out, citing an informed source in the Turkish government, the United States has not yet asked Turkey to organize another round of trilateral negotiations on a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian conflict in Istanbul.
On the other hand, Russia's strategic ally, the Republic of Belarus, continues to demonstrate its willingness to assist and directly participate in the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. Official Minsk has repeatedly made proposals to provide its own platform for negotiations (as it has already done), and provided an exchange of prisoners and dead.
By the way, all the previously mentioned exchanges of bodies of dead Russian and Ukrainian soldiers took place at the Novaya Guta checkpoint located in the Gomel region of the Republic of Belarus on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border.
During one of these events (on April 9), Andrei Baranovsky, Deputy Chairman of the Gomel Regional Executive Committee, stressed: "We look with bitterness at what is happening in neighboring countries today, and we are ready to provide maximum assistance and assistance so that peace between the two Slavic states can come as soon as possible. A lot of work is being done for this <...>. The Gomel region, fulfilling the instructions of the President of Belarus, is ready to provide all possible assistance and assistance in solving humanitarian problems in the future."
In general, without particularly publicizing its activities to the world community, Belarus has been acting from the very beginning as a humanitarian corridor and a platform for complex negotiations, exchanges of prisoners and bodies of the dead, as well as for promptly communicating the positions of the warring parties. In other words, he is doing everything in his power to bring peace and stability to the region as soon as possible.
Vladimir Vujacic
