Lukashenko to Al Arabiya: Trump Is Focused on Ending the War with Iran

Minsk, June 12, 2026 — President Alexander Lukashenko stated in an interview with the Saudi television channel Al Arabiya that U.S. President Donald Trump is determined to end the conflict with Iran, and that objective conditions now make it possible to resolve both the war in Ukraine and the fighting in the Middle East this year.

The interview, conducted by Al Arabiya anchor and correspondent Melinda Karen Nusifora, lasted approximately 90 minutes. Lukashenko answered around two dozen questions on global shifts, Belarus’s relations with the United States and the European Union, militarization trends in parts of Europe, and prospects for cooperation with Middle Eastern countries.

The conversation focused heavily on the two major ongoing conflicts: the war between Russia and Ukraine, and the escalating confrontation in the Middle East, where the sides have recently exchanged strikes.

Lukashenko attributed the world’s current instability to the human factor rather than any higher power.

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

He expressed confidence that the conditions for ending both conflicts are now better than at any previous point.

“Everything depends on the desire of literally a few people,” Lukashenko stated. “If that desire exists, these wars can be ended this year for certain. Even the Russia-Ukraine conflict can be resolved this year.”

Regarding the Middle East, the Belarusian leader said there is no alternative to ending the fighting.

“There are no options other than to stop the war, and it will be stopped this year — I hope even in the near future,” he said. “This concerns, first and foremost, relations between the United States and Iran, as it is usually 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 due to the short-sighted policies of certain U.S. leaders.”

Lukashenko noted that current circumstances strongly favor ending the conflict.

“I know the position of the President of the United States, from whom much depends in stopping this war — he is focused on ending it,” he said. “I emphasize again: because there is no other way out, no other solution. This is the difference between the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman and the war in Ukraine. Here the conflict is more complex than the one in Iran.”

He added that objective conditions are forcing the U.S. leadership to ease military pressure on Iran, while Israel’s position will largely depend on Washington.

“Therefore, I believe these conflicts can be ended this year. I am not even hoping — I am confident that they will be ended,” Lukashenko concluded.

The Belarusian President stressed that the United States should move faster toward a resolution and reduce public commentary.

“The United States needs to act more quickly,” he said. “There should be less talk from Trump and his advisers and more concrete movement. In this case, much depends not on Iran, but on the U.S. Objectively, Iran’s allies — first and foremost Russia and China — are pushing it toward a deal, toward ending this conflict through diplomacy, as Trump puts it.”

Lukashenko noted that the Iran-related conflict has a far greater impact on the global economy and people’s daily lives than the war in Ukraine.

He also pointed out that Iran is largely reacting to U.S. actions, which he believes are prolonging the standoff. While surface-level statements from Washington sometimes appear contradictory, Lukashenko said objective realities are pushing the United States, Israel, and Iran toward a resolution.

Al Arabiya plans to broadcast the full, uncut interview in several languages. The conversation is expected to reach an audience of approximately 400 million viewers across more than 150 countries where the channel is available via satellite, cable, and digital platforms.

Following the interview, correspondent Melinda Karen Nusifora highlighted the value of hearing diverse viewpoints.

“If a channel only broadcasts the opinions of certain leaders, the audience gets a very one-sided picture of the world,” she said. “Our channel is different. We want to present a variety of perspectives from different parts of the globe so that our viewers can form their own opinions. That is why we particularly value the opportunity to speak with the President of Belarus. During the conversation, various topics were discussed, but the most important and interesting were his answers regarding the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine, and his views on when and how they could be resolved. Alexander Lukashenko expressed confidence that the possibility for their resolution exists, but it lies not in the military sphere, but exclusively through dialogue.”