Alexander Lukashenko said that the war in Ukraine could end in the coming months. The Belarusian leader made the statement during the 4th Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security, UNIAN reported.
“There are not enough forces and resources. Everyone is tired of the war,” Lukashenko said. According to him, this is also beginning to be understood in Europe, which he accused of contributing to the escalation.
Lukashenko warned that if the conflict is not stopped, the world could be heading toward World War III. He portrayed U.S. President Donald Trump as a politician attempting to ease tensions.
The Belarusian leader added that the U.S. president's policy “polarizes the world and provokes justified criticism,” but in his view Trump is effectively preventing World War III. Lukashenko also said that the American president deserves the Nobel Peace Prize because he did not allow European countries to trigger a nuclear conflict.
Lukashenko: Belarus Does Not Want to Be Drawn In
In his statement, Lukashenko also addressed Belarus's role in the war. He said that Minsk is doing everything possible to avoid being directly drawn into the conflict, but acknowledged that the war is already affecting Belarusian territory.
Lukashenko said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is aware of attempts to draw Belarus into the conflict and, in his view, does not want this to happen either. Belarus provided its territory for use by Russian forces at the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but Minsk has not officially announced the participation of its troops in the hostilities.
Regarding Europe, Lukashenko said that the West does not realize the scale of the potential military conflict for which it is preparing. He described the European Union's approach to security as excessively forceful and linked it to protests in European countries.
No Confirmation of an Imminent End to the War
Lukashenko's assessment that the war will end soon is not supported by an independently confirmed agreement between Ukraine and Russia. The Institute for the Study of War assessed that the Kremlin continues to seek economic concessions and the development of relations with the United States, while showing no readiness for the compromises necessary to end the war.
In the same context, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described the agreement on diesel fuel with the United States as a “purely business arrangement” that does not resolve geopolitical problems. This shows that economic contacts between Washington and Moscow do not automatically mean progress toward a peace agreement for Ukraine.
Sources: unian.net