Lukashenko to Al Arabiya: “These Wars Can Be Ended This Year”

“Everything depends on the will of just a few people,” said President Alexander Lukashenko in a wide-ranging interview.

President Alexander Lukashenko has given an extensive interview to the influential Saudi-based television channel Al Arabiya, in which he stated that both the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East could be brought to an end this year if a small number of leaders show the necessary political will.

The interview took place in the Red Hall of the Palace of Independence and covered global challenges, regional hotspots, their underlying causes, and possible paths to resolution. Lukashenko addressed roughly two dozen questions, sharing his views on shifting global dynamics, Belarus’s contacts with the United States and the European Union, and the ongoing militarization of several European countries.

Al Arabiya, headquartered in Riyadh, broadcasts around the clock and reaches audiences in approximately 150 countries. The interview with the Belarusian leader is expected to be seen by up to 400 million viewers.

The conversation opened with a discussion of the two major ongoing conflicts — the war between Russia and Ukraine and the fighting in the Middle East. Lukashenko was asked about prospects for ending the hostilities, particularly given Belarus’s proximity to the Ukrainian border.

“Today the world is very unsettled precisely because of the human factor,” Lukashenko said. “God did not give us these wars. We ourselves have brought this upon ourselves. Therefore, we must think about how to stop them.”

He added that the current moment offers a unique opportunity to end the conflicts.

“All it takes is the desire of literally a few people,” the President stated. “If such a desire exists, these wars can be ended this year for certain. Even the conflict between Russia and Ukraine can be resolved this year.”

Turning to the Middle East, Lukashenko expressed confidence that the fighting would soon stop.

“There are no alternatives to ending the war, and it will be brought to an end this year — I hope even in the near future,” he said. “First and foremost, this concerns relations between the United States and Iran, as it is commonly described. Although I do not believe this is a war between Americans and Iranians. It is primarily a war between Israel and Iran, into which the Americans have been drawn because of the short-sighted position and policies of certain U.S. leaders.”

The interview was conducted by Al Arabiya’s lead anchor and correspondent Melinda Nusifora, an Australian journalist who previously worked in major Australian media outlets and in Turkey before joining the channel’s Riyadh headquarters.