U.S. President's Special Representative for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, denied reports that he allegedly promised at a meeting with Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenka in Minsk to facilitate Ukraine's not striking Russian territory. The Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine regarded Lukashenka's statement as playing along with Kremlin head Vladimir Putin in propaganda regarding the peace process attempt, writes UNN.
Details
Commenting on the headline in the Russian media about the promise attributed to him, Kellogg noted that "this quote was taken out of context."
In my conversation with Lukashenka, we discussed a full and unconditional ceasefire. Any restriction on Kyiv's actions was conditioned on reciprocal actions by Moscow. I never made comments about Ukraine waging war outside of a full ceasefire
The Center for Countering Disinformation of the NSDC commented on Lukashenka's statement that he "allegedly conveyed Putin's position to the US: allegedly, Russia will agree to a truce if 'the West forces Ukraine not to strike the Russian Federation'", stating: "Thus, Lukashenka joins the Kremlin's propaganda campaign, the purpose of which is to shift responsibility for the continuation of the war to Ukraine."
They noted that the U.S. President's Special Representative for Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg, has already denied Lukashenka's words.
"Such manipulation of the content of the conversation with the US representative indicates that Lukashenka, despite his attempts to act as a 'neutral mediator,' is actually playing the role of the Kremlin's mouthpiece," the Center for Countering Disinformation of the NSDC emphasized.
"In fact, responsibility for the continuation of the war lies solely with Russia. Ukraine is consistent in its desire for peace - Kyiv has repeatedly offered a full and comprehensive ceasefire, but it is the Kremlin that rejects these initiatives, continuing terrorist attacks against Ukraine," the Center for Countering Disinformation underscored.