Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko had their annual meeting on the island of Valaam in Lake Ladoga, which is also an important religious site with a major monastery.
The two gave an informal interview during the course of their meetings. Putin expressed confidence in the advance of Russian troops on all fronts in Ukraine, pointing in particular to the fall of Chasov Yar, a key area which has been fought over for the last year. Positions on the heights of Chasov Yar give Russian artillery access in all directions and present a threat to Kramatorsk, which is one of the central areas for the Ukrainian forces. Lukashenko also underlined the importance of Chasov Yar. He indicated progress in talks with Ukraine with regard to various exchanges of prisoners and the wounded, some of whom are transited through Belarus. Putin indicated that the Ukrainian side was in the process of accepting the Russian proposal at the last formal meeting to set up three working groups, which could continue discussing some of the key areas between formal meetings. He said that the groups have not yet started working, but he expressed hope that the process would soon begin.
Putin also indicated that there had been some interest expressed by one of the Ukrainian delegates with regard to discussing both Russian security and Ukrainian security in the context of an overall European security architecture. Putin said that Russia would also be interested in taking up this aspect of an agreement. Lukashenko also pointed to the discussions he was having with the U.S. side, most recently during the visit of Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg. Lukashenko told his interlocutors that they should begin to talk to President Putin but had to first work to prepare the ground for such a meeting.
Putin then returned to the issue of European security: “We are seeking a lasting and sustainable peace built on fundamentally sound principles that would serve the interests of Russia and Ukraine and ensure the security of both countries. Perhaps, those voices on the Ukrainian side who—albeit cautiously—are beginning to raise the idea of dialogue, are right in suggesting that we must begin to consider the issue of European security in general.”
