Andrei Sannikov: I Told General Valery Zaluzhny About The Position Of Belarusians

Ukraine is seizing the initiative.

The Lennart Meri Conference, one of the main forums in Northern Europe on security and the future of the region, was held in Tallinn. The event, which took place on May 15-17, was attended by the leader of the civil campaign "European Belarus" Andrei Sannikov.The site Charter97.org talked to the opposition politician about his participation in this conference.

- At the conference you managed to meet with the former commander-in-chief of the AFU Valery Zaluzhny. Did you manage to have a conversation?

- I met with General and Ambassador Valery Fyodorovich Zaluzhny before his speech. He was a little nervous, so I didn't take up his time. I simply told him that I had publicly voiced the idea that he should become commander-in-chief of NATO forces. The Ukrainians present confirmed what I said. I wished him luck and said that Belarusians are with the Ukrainians with all their souls and wish Ukraine a speedy victory.Zaluzhny's participation in the conference was one of its brightest moments. The general made a strong impression with his competent speech, strategic thinking, unwillingness to discuss any petty gossip or relations within the leadership of Ukraine. Valeriy Zaluzhny is a statesman with vast experience in military leadership and now also in diplomacy.

- Who other politicians, military and experts did you manage to meet in Tallinn? What were the key topics at the Lennart Meri Conference?

- I have been participating in the conference since its inception, with a break for political imprisonment. The conference brings together politicians, journalists, analysts, public figures and diplomats mainly from the Nordic region

- During the meetings, just on the sidelines and during the events on the margins of the conference, you talk to many people. Naturally, I discussed the topic of Belarus, but not only.

The conference had many participants of different levels, communication with whom and their speeches help to better understand the events and positions of individual countries and organizations.

Memorable were the speeches of the President of Moldova Maya Sandu, Garry Kasparov, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaija Kallas and others.

- The conference took place in the days when the commander of the AFU's Unmanned Systems Force Robert "Madiar" Brovdi warned dictator Lukashenko. Did Tallinn talk about the risk of escalation from the territory of Belarus? Is it real, in your opinion?

- Of course it is real. There was talk at the conference that it could be Putin's next step. Lukashenko is not going anywhere, he will be forced to obey. All this is being monitored.

I spoke with representatives of the European Union, representatives of the intelligence community, and they assured me that they are tracking the situation, monitoring it, and the Belarusian topic is certainly present. I believe that the Ukrainians should have voiced the possibility of retaliatory strikes a long time ago in order not to allow the war involving Lukashenko and Belarusian units to continue.

We see now that Putin's and Lukashenko's insolence is increasing as their fear grows. These nuclear exercises, statements about joint plans to use nuclear weapons are quite a dangerous signal of possible escalation of hostilities.

- Recently, Western media have been talking about changing the course of the war and shifting the initiative to Ukraine. What were the sentiments of your interlocutors, experts and conference participants on this issue? Do the West see Ukraine's chance to turn the situation around?

- Yes, this time they said that the Ukrainians are clearly taking the initiative. And I would like to note that all these talks were before the strike on Moscow, it happened after the conference was over. This is exactly what they talked about at the conference: the Ukrainians are competently defending themselves and moving to more offensive actions, while building up their technological potential.

Talking about some of Putin's successes is ridiculous. As Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže figuratively put it: if in February 2022 a snail started crawling from Avdeevka to the West, it would already be in the Czech Republic. And the Russians are stuck in Donbass.

General Valery Zaluzhny, for example, said that Ukraine already had chances to defeat Russia in this war. Circumstances prevented them from being used, but they remain. Many people held such views, for example Garry Kasparov. His position is well known: only a Ukrainian victory can stop Russia's aggressiveness and change the geopolitical picture of the world.

Ukraine has clearly not lost its supporters, but it should also be remembered that scenarios of compromise, a "peaceful" plan in which Ukraine may lose its territories, also exist and are being discussed in high political spheres.

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