Ukrainian MPs Meet With Representatives Of Kalinouski Regiment

The deputies will cooperate with the regiment as a legitimate representative of the Belarusian people.

MPs of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine from the inter-faction association of "Democratic Belarus" met with representatives of the regiment named after Kastus Kalinouski on October 19.

The meeting was attended by MPs Oleksiy Honcharenko, Vadim Halaychuk, Sofia Fedina, Maria Mezentseva, Eugenia Kravchuk, Nikita Poturaev, Bohdan Yaremenko, Egor Cherniaev, Oleksandr Marykovski, Serhiy Shvets and Iryna Gerashchenko.

The regiment representatives and MPs discussed the issues of Belarusian-Ukrainian relations in the context of Russian aggression.

"The Ukrainian side expressed respect for the Belarusians who are fighting with arms in their hands for Ukraine and declared their desire to cooperate with the Kalinouski Regiment as a legitimate representative of the Belarusian people," the press service of the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment reported.

Besides, during the meeting they discussed military and political issues and plans of development of the Kalinouski Regiment.

At the request of the Kalinouski Regiment fighters, the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine promised to send to the Cabinet of Ministers a proposal to amend the resolution according to which a lump sum of UAH 15 million (USD 368 thousand) is not to be paid to the deceased volunteers' family members "permanently residing in the territory of the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus". The MPs also decided to put to a vote the issue of recognizing Belarus as temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation.

"It has been agreed that the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine together with the Kalinouski Regiment will defend the interests of the Belarusian people in the European and world parliamentary institutions: OSCE, PACE, NATO Parliamentary Assembly," specified the press service of the Regiment.

We remind you that earlier, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Foreign Affairs, member of the "Servant of the People" faction Oleksandr Merezhko explained why, in his opinion, Ukraine would not recognize Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and the "United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus".

According to him, Tsikhanouskaya's position on Russia and Putin "is not clear enough".

"It is as if she is afraid to call things by their proper names. For example, to say clearly that Russia is a terrorist country, an aggressor and an enemy of the Belarusian people. Besides, there are some doubtful people in her entourage. She has also made statements related to Ukraine which caused misunderstanding in Ukraine," Merezhko said.

The MP added that the Kalinouski Regiment, which fights as part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, could be "a legitimate Belarusian body with which Kyiv could have a dialogue". According to Merezhko, the regiment proved by its actions at the front that it adheres to the pro-Ukrainian position and has authority among the Belarusian opposition.