“There was hatred for the enemy”: Reznikov spoke about the course of the first negotiations with the Russian Federation

For the first negotiations in Belarus, the Ukrainian delegation flew on NATO helicopters and apparently it was the first equipment of the alliance that crossed the border of Belarus.

This was stated by Defense Minister Aleksey Reznikova in a special project of journalist Dmitry Komarov, talking about the first negotiations with Russia at the end of February 2022, which took place in Belarus.

He noted that it was very difficult for him and emotionally these negotiations were given, because there was already hatred for the enemy, and this is not professional. Because for successful negotiations it is necessary to start with a handshake and “not growl”, because otherwise there is no need to go into negotiations. Therefore, it was difficult.

Reznikov recalled that the negotiations took place in Belarus, whose leadership the Ukrainian side did not trust. “We could have simply been taken hostage there – and hello, and for some incident. Accidentally killed on the way and that’s it,” the minister said.

Reznikov said that the Ukrainian negotiating delegation traveled to Belarus for negotiations on NATO helicopters.

“They suggested that they make a corridor for us and we would go through the occupied part to them. But we said that we would get there as we saw fit,” the minister stressed.

According to him, there was communication with the Polish colleagues, and the delegation reached Poland, and from there NATO helicopters flew to the territory of Belarus, and there they flew to the place of negotiations by a Belarusian helicopter.

“I think that this is the first time helicopters from a NATO country have landed on Belarusian soil,” he joked.

“I was struck by the cynicism of the Russians, one more thing. On the day when we were already at the talks, we already counted about 3,000 killed Russians. It was already a lot – 3,000 killed plus wounded. Here we are sitting, talking, and their negotiators are sitting on the other side … I tell them, okay, we have agreed on humanitarian corridors, on ensuring the withdrawal of the population, but what will we do with the bodies of your dead? Maybe we will give it to you so that their mothers can bury?”, – says Reznikov, as he addressed the Russians in the negotiations.

According to him, the Russians silently look at him after these words. He continues to tell them that, they say, we would be ready to load these bodies into wagons and send them to Russia, but “you won’t turn the wagons for us, because you’ll take them for yourself.”

“The head of the delegation (we are talking about Russian negotiators – UNIAN) returns to the Deputy Minister of Defense, and he says:” We do not confirm. We have 10 or 20 or 30 dead there.” The head of the delegation says, “the military do not confirm,” to which I answer them: “You may not confirm it, but 3,000 of your bodies are rotting on our land. Then we will fill them with seeds, let them sprout like sunflowers,” Reznikov said.

According to him, a few weeks after the talks, the leader and representatives of the Red Cross, who had returned from Moscow, arrived in Ukraine. Reznikov notes that he turned to him with a question whether the leadership of the Russian Federation knows about the real number of dead Russians, whether this truth is being conveyed “to the mountain.” According to him, he noted in response that “the deputy minister knows for sure, I saw it in the face, I think that the minister should also know, because this is accounting, but I’m not sure that they bring the truth” to the top “because that they are afraid to convey it, because they do not want to be a “killer messenger”, that is, those who bring bad news.”

Reznikov added that at that time Putin might not have known about the number of losses, but now a large number of Russian losses are difficult to hide.

Losses of the Russian Federation in Ukraine – details

The total combat losses of the enemy from 02/24/22 to 05/05/23 were approximately 193,210 people.

Journalists confirmed the liquidation of more than 22 thousand dead Russian invaders in Ukraine. Over the past four weeks, more than 2.3 thousand names have been added to the list of publicly confirmed losses – now there are 22,055 people on the list of the dead.