KYIV – Ukraine is calling on the Republic of Belarus to be as tolerant as possible, hold open dialogue and reject violence, because this is the approach that will ensure a way out of the difficult crisis situation, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on August 10.
“We call on our neighbors to be as tolerant as possible and reject street violence. We call for the most open, albeit complex, dialogue, because only a broad dialogue will allow the citizens of the Republic of Belarus to find a way out of the difficult crisis situation and honestly discuss further steps and formats of public interaction. Only mutual understanding between all parties can preserve the country’s independence and ensure its further movement towards freedom and democracy,” Mr. Zelenskyy said.
Otherwise, the escalation of violence will grow and the implications will be very negative, he added.
According to the Ukrainian president, now both parties in Belarus should be interested in such a dialogue – both the government and the protesters.
“Our neighbors [the] Belarusians, are going through difficult times now. They are trying to determine the vector of their further development. And this is very difficult. It is already obvious that not everyone in the country agrees with the announced provisional election results. And, as you know, any legitimacy arises exclusively from public trust. Exclusively from trust. Doubt on such a scale is a direct road to violence, conflict and growing public outcry. Unfortunately, this is what we are seeing now,” the Ukrainian president said.
Mr. Zelenskyy said that Belarus should adhere to the democratic standards generally recognized in the civilized world as much as possible, and try to provide its people with their rights and freedoms in full, because this is the only way to preserve hope for a way out of the crisis.
“Ukraine and I personally are extremely interested in Belarus being a truly independent and democratic country with a strong economy and stable social relations. Belarus is our closest neighbor, and therefore we are not at all indifferent to what is happening there and what will happen to our friends next,” he stated.
Source: Presidential Office of Ukraine