Photos: Belarusian President's Website
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said that the Ukrainian army, which served in the Crimea in 2014, itself offered Russia to take power over the peninsula. According to him, they did not want NATO troops to be deployed there.
In an interview with RIA Novosti Lukashenko said that Ukrainian soldiers “ went to the Russians. & # 39; & # 39; Moreover, it was not at the highest level. At the same time, the Ukrainians warned the Russians that the peninsula would not become Russian unless “certain steps” were taken. And he would not become a Ukrainian either.
& quot; Whose? NATO. Then NATO focused on Crimea, “Lukashenko added.
As a result, according to the Belarusian leader, several meetings took place between the Belarusian and Russian armies. The Ukrainians suggested that the Russians tell their president that “the issue of Crimea must be resolved.” This was due to the fact that “the Americans have already designed a barracks in Sevastopol,” Lukashenko stressed. . He clarified that he was talking about those Ukrainian soldiers who were & nbsp; still former Soviet generals and officers.
At the same time, Putin himself “insisted on a legal solution to the problem.” & quot; I know Putin's position & mdash; under no circumstances should there be NATO troops in Crimea, “the Belarusian president emphasized.
As a result, it was decided that Crimea should be saved, and Putin insisted on a referendum. Therefore, the peninsula became part of Russia without a single shot.
Meanwhile, the United States expresses concern over plans by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to visit the Crimean Peninsula and recognize it as Russian territory. This was stated by Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland. Even more worrying in Washington is Lukashenko's statement that after the referendum, Crimea “de jure became Russian.”