Opinions & Interviews

Lukashenko on Newsmax: Ukraine peace plan, what Putin wants, Trump’s role and relations with the US

MINSK, 18 December (BelTA) – On 13 December, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko gave an interview to the U.S. media company Newsmax. BelTA has compiled all the most important and resonant statements by the head of state.

The interviewer was Greta Conway Van Susteren, host of the program The Record with Greta van Susteren on Newsmax Interestingly, she is also the wife of U.S. Special Envoy for Belarus John Coale, with whom Aleksandr Lukashenko has held numerous talks in Minsk. The latest round of talks took place on 12-13 December, and John Coale himself was also present at the interview.

The venue chosen for the interview in the Palace of Independence is quite historic – the legendary Green Hall, where the hours-long Normandy Four talks took place in 2015.

In the interview, Aleksandr Lukashenko discussed his vision for the future of relations between Belarus and the United States. The prospects for resolving the conflict in Ukraine and the role of U.S. President Donald Trump in this process were also discussed. Another topic was the situation surrounding Venezuela and the growing tensions in relations with the US amid drug trafficking accusations. The head of state also answered questions about his personal impressions of his interactions with a number of foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

At the start of the interview the Belarusian president had a specific request: “I am a strong supporter of Trump. I have a chosen brother, the president of Russia. And I have a very good friend from way back, from even before he became president. This is Xi Jinping. So please don’t ask any ‘gotcha questions’ about these three people. It is a joke.”

On reasons for sympathies toward Donald Trump's policies

The Belarusian president emphasized that he is not a blind follower of Trump. “John was a witness… During our first meeting I expressed some critical remarks about Trump's policies. And everything I warned the Americans about during our meeting with this group led by John Cole that Trump appointed, everything I said, has come true today,” the bealrusian leader said. “Therefore, I am not a blind supporter of Trump. But I have always welcomed the prospect of Trump coming to power.”

The head of state stressed that the current occupant of the White House did brilliantly during the election campaign. “I called him a 'bulldozer' during the election campaign. He moved across the country like a bulldozer and he won. I didn't think he would win so overwhelmingly. But he did. He earned that victory. Even God interfered to save him. He acknowledges this. So, from any perspective, Trump is a strong figure.”

“If I may be so bold, I was the sole head of state to publicly endorse Trump upon his announcement to run for president. While many privately backed him, Belarus stood alone in offering official, public support,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

According to the head of state, Trump’s current actions are consistent with his own stance and the policies of Belarus.

The head of state noted that his U.S. counterpart has accomplished a lot in foreign policy. “It does not matter whether he stopped seven or eight wars or conflicts. But that is his aim. He is achieving some success. If this conflict in Ukraine is stopped with Trump’s help, he will make history. He won’t need any Nobel Prize. He will go down in history as the president of peace. Which is not something you can say about the others after Roosevelt [Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who led the USA from 1933 until his death in 1945],” the president said. “Much can be said positively about Trump. I am not disappointed that I supported him in this way.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized that Donald Trump stands out in this regard, especially when compared to that U.S. administration “which tried to forcefully bend the whole world, by using both economic and military means.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko added that U.S. President Donald Trump is currently taking the correct course of action, particularly by focusing not only on foreign policy but also on addressing domestic political and economic issues. “This is absolutely right,” the president said.

The Belarusian head of state described the newly released strategy as a solid document. “If it comes to fruition, it will be a gift to the world,” he affirmed.

On Trump’s role in Ukraine peace process

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that if the question of a peaceful settlement depended solely on U.S. President Donald Trump, then given his current policies, the war would have ended long ago. However, this is a multilateral process. “There are two conflicting sides: Russia and Ukraine. They drag us, Belarus, into it as well. This conflict is nearby, and we are not indifferent to how events will unfold there and how the war will end. So this is a multilateral process. Trump alone cannot solve this issue,” the Belarusian leader stated.

The head of state recounted that in a phone conversation with Donald Trump before his meeting with the Russian president in Alaska this August, he had warned that they needed to prepare for hard work, as this problem could not be solved in one go: “That’s exactly what's happening. I then advised him to make every effort to reach an agreement with Russia to stop the war.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko stated that while discussing the terms of a peace deal can take months or years, the critical imperative now is to stop the shooting at the front and to prevent any slide into wider conflict. The president gave an example that a peace treaty between Russia (and before that, the USSR) and Japan has not been signed to this day, yet this has not prevented the two countries from cooperating for decades.

“Therefore, the immediate priority is to end the carnage so that no more lives are lost,” the Belarusian leader emphasized. “If people are not dying, then you can sit down and negotiate about anything. Territorial issues, or anything else.”

The head of state believes it is important to “freeze the conflict once and for all,” to halt the hostilities in such a way that Russia does not remain wary that this time might simply be used to rearm Ukraine: “To do it in such a way that no one is suspicious that we brought the conflict to a halt (precisely when Russia is winning, as is currently the case)… To avoid Russian concern, we must prevent Ukraine from rearming and halt weapons deliveries by Americans and Europeans during this period."

In this regard, he recalled the hypocritical stance of European politicians when peace agreements on Ukraine were reached in Minsk in 2015. “According to [former German Chancellor Angela] Merkel, they wanted to give the Ukrainians time to rearm to fight back against Russia. It turns out they didn’t come here to negotiate peace, but to plan for a future war,” the president said. “I suggested back then that the USA should be included in this process. Without the USA, there would be no peace there. If the agreements that were reached here in Minsk had been implemented then, there would have been no war.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko is convinced that if Donald Trump had been president at that time pursuing his current policy, war would also most likely have not happened.

“Much now depends on the position of Trump and the United States of America. It is crucial that he does not retreat from this position. He is a forceful personality, he is sometimes impulsive. I would not want him to give up on all this and go off course. If he persists in his efforts, there will be results. The Europeans have no grounds to protest,” the head of state said.

On factors in favor of ending the war and the necessary guarantees

“Every war ends in peace. It's a classic saying. This war will end in peace too. The sooner it ends, the fewer people will die. I often say, in a man's straightforward way: people die in war. But very many people are returning from the war crippled! What do you do with them? Without legs, without arms,” the president said.

Reflecting on how the conflicting parties can achieve peace under current conditions, Aleksandr Lukashenko expressed the view that the evolving situation around them will push them in that direction. For example, he did not rule out that escalation can lead to mobilization in Russia. “Are Russians happy with the war going on? Of course not,” he said.

“Besides, Putin often tells me about this: ‘We, kin nations, are fighting against each other’. This involves psychological aspects, among numerous other issues,” the head of state added.

“Zelensky should understand perfectly well, and in fact understands that this [the continuation and escalation of the conflict] can end Ukraine as a sovereign nation,” the president added.

“These are the factors at play. Plus, Trump’s pressure on the one party and on the other. External pressure. If they don’t reach a deal now, this external pressure will only intensify. These are the factors weighing on the two presidents. They understand they must stop, they must come to an agreement,” the Belarusian leader said.

According to the president, certain guarantees are needed to ensure a long-term peace. “There must be guarantees. Russia wants guarantees to make this permanent. I know this. Russia wants to conclude a peace treaty so that war never starts again. Ukraine is also interested in this. Trump is prepared to act as a guarantor of this. All the elements are there. So things need to be intensified, sped up,” the Belarusian head of state said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko observed that the pressure from Donald Trump in this instance is primarily directed at Vladimir Zelensky, who is resisting an agreement. “Why is he reluctant? Because the Europeans have gotten involved in this, and they are whispering in his ear that they will help Zelensky fight. They won’t help at all. They don’t have the resources that the USA has. If the USA steps back, escalation is unavoidable. And then Macron, Merz, and Starmer [the current leaders of France, Germany, and the UK] will understand their mistake,” the Belarusian president stressed.

On the most dangerous scenario

When asked what would happen if Donald Trump became disillusioned with the prospects for a peaceful resolution and simply abandoned the issue, Aleksandr Lukashenko replied: “The war will continue. It will persist until forces within Ukraine prevail that will compel Zelensky to make peace. And these forces will be able to compel him when the front begins to completely collapse, though the start of this is already visible.”

“The gravest danger lies in the potential for this conflict to persist and escalate, an outcome that would have severe consequences for Europe and the world. It will inevitably grow into a global conflict. Therefore, it must be extinguished while there is still a chance,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.

“Such an opportunity exists now more than ever, particularly since the Americans have engaged seriously with this issue. This is your [America’s] most critical foreign policy matter. Neither Taiwan nor any other conflict or problem in the world can overshadow it, because, I reiterate, the continuation of this conflict will lead to a global war, involving all weapons at the disposal of nations. This must not be allowed.”

On Russia’s position

When asked what Russian President Vladimir Putin wants,  Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “I am now convinced that Putin wants peace. I will not specify the reasons; you know them well. They encompass both internal and external factors,” said the head of state. “I am sure, Zelensky wants the same thing, especially now. He wants peace. However, their visions for how this war should end differ.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko also expressed support for the position of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has declared that the resolution to the Ukraine conflict must be based on the realities on the ground as they stand today.

“If Ukraine believes it can defeat Russia and is prepared to continue the war, then let it fight. In my view, and I believe Trump shares this position, if the fighting continues on its current path, Ukraine will disappear from the map. It will cease to exist,” the Belarusian leader stated.

On causes of Ukraine conflict

The interviewer asked the Belarusian head of state why Russian President Vladimir Putin started military action in Ukraine and what his aims were.

In his response, Aleksandr Lukashenko outlined the complex origins of the conflict. He pointed to the oppression of Russian-speaking people in Ukraine, noting that in Odessa such people were even burned alive as enemies. “This policy was elevated to an official level in Ukraine,” the Belarusian leader remarked.

To make the point more clear to an American audience, the head of state invoked the example of Mexico. He stated that if po-American people living near the border were subjected to such treatment there, the United States would have wiped that country off the map. “God forbid, of course. I am simply citing this as an example,” the president added.

Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized that if the Ukrainian authorities genuinely wanted to implement a specific language policy, it should have been carried out gradually and calmly and over many years. Instead, the decision was made to simply “shut the mouth” of the Russian-speaking population.

“And then, I am telling you this as an experienced politician, if you live next to a ‘sleeping bear,’ you should not wake it. Find a way to have normal relations,” said the head of state, reflecting on missed opportunities for peace. “After all, I know this, I witnessed it, I took part in these negotiations: Russia reached agreements with Ukraine concerning both Crimea and security issues. The military bases in Crimea (Ukraine did not need them) would have remained Russia’s. Russia supplied energy to Ukraine at half the global price. I saw this under Yeltsin and under Putin. Relations were normal.”

“But instead, they chose to stage this Maidan [late 2013-early 2014], with the help of the Americans, and especially the Europeans. They turned everything upside down, overthrew the sitting president [Viktor Yanukovich], forcing him to flee the country. And so on, and so forth. Many such reasons can be listed, and none of them are in Ukraine’s favor,” concluded Aleksandr Lukashenko.

In one of the questions, the interviewer mentioned Crimea, where, according to the Ukrainian side, the war began in 2014.

“There was no war in Crimea. Today, Zelensky and the Ukrainian authorities claim that Crimea is Ukrainian. Crimea is an absolute gem. Whoever it belongs to, it is a gem. It’s a paradise,” Aleksandr Lukashenko noted. “They say the war began then. War is when two sides fight face to face, weapons in hand. Not a single shot was fired by the Ukrainians in Crimea. Why would the Russians need to shoot when they had taken and liberated, as they say, Crimea? There was no need to use weapons, because no one fought for Crimea. I know it for sure. Not a single shot was fired by Ukraine.”

Responding to the remark that Russia annexed Crimea, the Belarusian president said: “You can call it annexed, you can call it liberated, you can call it seized. That’s a philosophical question, that’s not the point. But if it’s your land, why didn’t you defend it? The Ukrainians gave it away, they simply handed it over to the Russians. I’ve said it before: the Russians acted wisely there. They made a deal with those who were supposed to defend Crimea, and in this way, Crimea was essentially surrendered to the ‘green men’, as you called them back then.”

On Putin’s personality

When asked what kind of person Vladimir Putin is, Aleksandr Lukashenko replied: “He is a fundamentally good person. But in politics, he is akin to a wolfhound. He is a truly outstanding politician. For a long time, he has led such a vast country. One can only admire his resolve and his skill in running the country, in addressing not only domestic challenges but also matters of foreign policy. He is a strong leader”.

The interviewer also asked the Belarusian president about his impressions of his past interactions with Vladimir Zelensky. “I thought back then that he was a reasonable person [Aleksandr Lukashenko personally met with Vladimir Zelensky more than six years ago], but inexperienced. But it was natural. That’s what concerns politics. As for his personality, I’m not as familiar with him as I am with Putin or Xi Jinping,” the head of state noted.

On relations with the United States and the proposal to to engage in dialogue based on pragmatism

Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized Belarus's interest in having good relations with the United States and expressed confidence that through the ongoing dialogue, both sides will be able to reach agreements on all matters.

According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, during his talks with U.S. Special Envoy for Belarus John Coale, he conveyed “several proposals rooted in our pragmatism”, relevant to the U.S. interests. “I told your colleagues who came here, man to man: guys, you have to be able to admit defeat. Even if a major country like the United States organized an attack against us in 2020 (not you personally, though you supported it) and lost, you must proceed from that reality. There’s no need to go around the world shouting that you lost, but you need to act proceeding from this. If you lose, let’s talk calmly, like adults, and move forward,” the president said.

“We need to negotiate and stop fighting each other, especially since we support each other. Do we really have bad relations with the Americans? What have we done wrong to the United States of America? Nothing. So why do you look at us with suspicion?” the Belarusian leader asked rhetorically.

The head of state believes that it is not acceptable for the current generation of leaders to leave unresolved issues in bilateral relations for future generations to deal with. “I don’t want the problems that arose during my time as the leader of the country to be inherited by the children of Belarus, the next generation. Every generation must solve its own problems. Our generation, Trump’s and Lukashenko’s, has its own set of challenges. We must address them,” he said.

Speaking about the future of Belarus-U.S. relations, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted certain similarities between the two peoples, given that many people in the United States have European roots. “This is why I am confident that we will reach an agreement, perhaps based on the principles of pragmatism. Americans are extremely pragmatic, and so are we. Therefore, I believe that once we define the main areas of our pragmatism, we will be able to reach agreements,” the head of state added. “So we will reach an understanding with the Americans. We will.”

On situation concerning Venezuela and the call on the United States to resolve issues through peaceful means

Among the issues of mutual interest for both Belarus and the United States, the situation in Venezuela was cited as an example. Aleksandr Lukashenko knows Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro quite well. Furthermore, he has recently held several meetings with the Venezuelan ambassador in Minsk, which means he is well-informed about what is happening in this South American country and the difficulties that arise in its relations with the United States.

According to the head of state, the interest of the United States of America in nearby Venezuela is quite understandable. As is, for example, Russia’s interest in the situation in Ukraine. “I am absolutely convinced that all issues, all wishes of the United States of America can be resolved today in an absolutely peaceful way,” the president emphasized. “War will lead nowhere. Yesterday [the talks held on 12 December] I spoke to John Coale about this. I told him this would be a second Vietnam. Do you need that? You don’t. So, there is no need to wage war there. It’s possible to reach an agreement.”

“I believe that in the near future we will have the chance to speak on this topic with Donald Trump. I have many interesting things to tell him,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said

In his opinion, Belarus and the USA can work together to resolve the situation in Venezuela, and such a proposal was voiced to the American side. “Yesterday [the talks held on 12 December] I told John Coale: we will work together for free (you don’t need to pay me anything) in the interests of ensuring that both the Venezuelan people live in peace and Americans do not die on foreign soil for the sake of oil, gold, rare earth metals, or in the fight against drugs, and so on. Where there is an opportunity to save lives, it must be saved,” the president said.

The Belarusian head of state remarked that he was aware of idle talk in the mass media community regarding an alleged agreement that Nicolas Maduro would come to Belarus and would live here. “We’ve never talked about it with Maduro. To be honest, we talk to Americans about Venezuela more than we do with Maduro about his retirement and some actions. He is a heroic man,” the head of state stressed.

Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “Maduro has never been our enemy or adversary. Never. If he wanted to come to Belarus, our doors are always open for him. But frankly speaking, we’ve never talked about it. Maduro is not the kind of man to leave everything and flee. He is a strong person of the Hugo Chavez variety. He is a strong man, a decent and sensible person one can talk to and come to terms with.”

On U.S. concerns about Venezuela

Aleksandr Lukashenko elaborated on his perspective regarding two issues that particularly concern the United States in relation to Venezuela: the problem of drug trafficking and the legitimacy of the presidential election held there.

On the first point, the president generally expressed doubts about the objectivity of U.S. data regarding the volume of drug trafficking from Venezuela, while also rejecting any involvement by Nicolás Maduro in such activities: “You have no evidence of this, and neither do I. I do not believe this to be the case.”

The head of state noted that alongside the drug trade, there are other global problems, including human trafficking, sex exploitation and illegal arms trade. “These are the realities of our time. We must fight them. But you cannot defeat drugs with missiles,” the Belarusian leader emphasized.

Aleksandr Lukashenko supports the United States and President Donald Trump in their determination to combat illegal migration and drug trafficking. “Trump deserves credit for bringing this issue to the forefront,” the Belarusian president believes. He simultaneously emphasized, however, the unique nature of such challenges and the impossibility of achieving sustainable, long-term results either unilaterally or through the sole use of force. “The fight against this problem will continue after us. Our children will fight against it. This is a new phenomenon in a new era. You cannot defeat it with missiles. We must agree on joint actions. We must define joint measures of fighting it,” the head of state is convinced.

The problem of drug trafficking is relevant for Belarus, Russia, and the entire European region. To solve it, it is necessary to understand the causes and adopt well-considered measures. “Drugs flow from Asian East through Russia, through Belarus, into enlightened Europe, into the ‘Garden of Eden’. Why do they go there? Because they are in high demand there, more than anywhere else,” the president explained. “There is a high demand, so the drugs flow.” And from European Union countries, synthetic drugs travel in the opposite direction.

According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, Belarus has put up a strong barrier at the border against drug trafficking and wages an uncompromising fight against this evil inside the country. Nevertheless, it has not been possible to completely eliminate it. To achieve this, joint actions by all European countries are needed, as was the case before Europeans closed their border with Belarus and imposed sanctions. “We used to work closely with the Europeans, the Poles, Lithuanians, Latvians and Ukrainians to fight against drug trafficking. We intercepted them here and burned them by tonnes. That kind of cooperation doesn't exist now. I'm not going to protect them against this,” the president said. “If someone threw a noose around your neck to hang you, would you protect those who decided to execute you? Am I supposed to protect Europe in this situation? Why should I? They are strangling me, and I'm supposed to protect them against drugs?”

Drawing analogies with the situation between the United States and Venezuela, Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized that it would be better for the parties to find a compromise. “This problem [drug trafficking] is not Venezuelan, not Afghan. It is global. And the approach must be systemic and involve all countries along the transit routes,” he concluded. “It is a planetary problem that we must fight. Not with missiles. We must seek, perhaps, new methods. We need to act smart, not wage war,” the head of state stated.

As for the second topic - the presidential elections in Venezuela and the non-recognition of their results by the United States of America, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted: “The USA did not recognize the results of the elections not only in Venezuela. Under [former U.S. President Joe] Biden, you didn’t recognize elections anywhere.”

“The fact that you did not recognize the elections in Venezuela – well, so be it. Venezuela didn’t hold elections for the Americans. Venezuelans held elections for their own people, for themselves. And the results are known. There are no other results. Did you count the votes there instead of the Central Election Commission? No, you didn’t,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

Regarding this, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted a certain similarity between what happened in the United States and Venezuela during the presidential elections. “It’s just like in the USA there: a 50/50 situation, with Maduro having a slight edge. If you want all Venezuelans to rally around Maduro (Americans probably don’t want that, and Trump doesn’t either), then you will start a war against Venezuela. This must not be done under any circumstances,” the head of state believes.

In this context, he recalled how the U.S. presidential election campaign unfolded in 2020. At that time, Donald Trump and Joe Biden vied for the U.S. presidency, and the election process was accompanied by numerous scandals and violations, including in the vote count.

“Well, it’s not for Americans to count votes in Venezuela. Remember when Trump, as we say, was dumped, toppled in the last election? You found ballots under fences there. You had voting by mail,”Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “It was your elections that were completely falsified when Biden won and Trump was cast aside. Isn’t it true? TodayAmericans, with such electoral baggage, did not recognize the elections in Venezuela, in Belarus, or elsewhere. Fine, whatever. You didn’t recognize them, your prerogative.”

On China and Xi Jinping

During the interview the Belarusian head of state was asked about China and its leader Xi Jinping. Aleksandr Lukashenko explained that he visited China for the first time 30 years ago when he was a member of the parliament and back then he already noticed that China is destined for a great future. “I came back and told the parliament that we should build relations with the Chinese state. A great future awaits it. Well, back then Americans didn’t really want to be friends with us and weren’t friends with us, you know. Europeans also tried to confuse me with all kinds of democracy and so on. But I prioritized economy first and foremost. And I saw that China would grow,” the Belarusian leader said.

In his words, today, several decades later it is obvious that China is about to secure leadership and it even causes concern on the part of the United States of America, which is trying to contain China’s development. However, it is no longer possible to do it, the Belarus president is convinced. “You’ve lost at least 20 years in order to slow down China. Nowadays nobody is capable of containing China. Particularly bearing in mind the philosophy the Chinese have in their heads,” Aleksandr Lukashenko believes.

Describing China President Xi Jinping, Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked that he is a smart and neat person, impossibly calm just like all the Chinese. “A peculiarity of theirs is that they don’t rush anywhere. They are smart people, an extremely ancient civilization. They understand that sooner or later that existing problem has to be resolved. They believe that it is futile to accelerate the process. One can run into hardships. They do their business quietly and calmly,” the president said.

On the USA’s idea of establishing “Core Five”

The president suggested that the increasing role of Asian countries led by China, combined with other factors, has given rise to the idea in the USA of creating a new alliance of five countries - the “Core Five” (C5) as an alternative to the Group of Seven (G7).

“I have heard from the media that Trump is ready to create a bloc of five states: Russia, China, Japan, the United States of America, and India. I think if this union is established, the world will be completely different, and this will happen in a short period of time,” the head of state said.

“Probably, after Europeans failed to understand what Trump wants, Trump turned to Asia, because that is the main center of future development. Asia is developing at a rapid pace today, primarily thanks to China,” Aleksandr Lukashenko added.

“I’ve been watching China for 30 years. They commit a revolution every year. I visit China every year and I don’t recognize the country. They are so efficient that you cannot even evaluate it,” the head of state added.

On North Korea leader Kim Jong Un

One of the questions for the head of state concerned President of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea Kim Jong Un. Aleksandr Lukashenko was asked about his impressions from personal interactions with the North Korean leader.

The leaders of Belarus and the DPRK, along with heads of other states, attended a military parade in China in September of this year.

“A normal impression. Trump also initially didn’t have a very good impression of him. But when he met him during his first term [the meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un took place in June 2019], he spoke of him quite positively. I feel the same,” the Belarusian leader said.

“My impression of Kim Jong Un was formed mostly through the mass media. But when I spoke with him, I found him to be a completely normal person who understands his role in the world. He is not some kind of phantom. He is a decent, calm, and honest man. Although our meeting was brief, I had this impression of him, and I am confident that it is not misguided. He is someone you can deal with,” Aleksandr Lukashenko noted.