Lukashenko: Zelensky Must Stop Before Losing All of Ukraine

An extensive, candid, and impactful interview with the Belarusian President was conducted by the American magazine Time.

This presents an opportunity to convey Belarus’s position on many pressing international issues to the collective West—without trying to please or flatter them, but honestly and openly (Alexander Lukashenko does not seek to do otherwise...). The question remains: does the West truly want to hear Belarus’s voice? Yet, for the sake of peace, our President is prepared to speak with everyone.

Who is genuinely interested in peace negotiations regarding Ukraine? What does the American dream look like? And what goals does the West seem destined never to achieve? The interview also explores why the President calls himself a “Trumpist,” whether he believes America genuinely seeks normalization of relations with us, and discusses war and peace, our foreign policy, relations with neighboring countries, and even upcoming elections—both here and across the ocean.

The key statements made by Alexander Lukashenko continue to stir discussion across media platforms. The Belarusian leader has been repeatedly challenged by journalist Simon Shuster, yet the principled and open stance of our President has once again proven: Belarus rejects double standards, refuses to play games with opponents, and does not sell out its sovereignty. Lukashenko openly admits that the world is changing; recent years vividly demonstrate who our friends are and who are merely pretending. Countries seek support in each other, and neutrality in global politics is a thing of the past. However, the President is convinced that our allies do not threaten our independence.

He remarked that in Western narratives, Belarus is sometimes portrayed as “occupied by the Kremlin.” In this context, the President pointed to neighboring countries. Ukraine, a wealthy, powerful, three times richer than Belarus, is long ago occupied by the West.

“And Poland, who is it occupied by? The Baltic States, which crawl around even not under the Americans’ watch? The Americans probably look at them with disdain. And the Europeans—Poles included—are crawling around there, grabbing crumbs from the table to peck at like chickens. Are they not occupied?” asked the Belarusian leader.

Regarding Belarus’s foreign policy: “I’ve never sat on two chairs,” he affirms.

“All of us depend on someone, especially medium and small states. We all seek to lean on someone, to be in alliances, to ensure our security. This is called balancing politics. I’ve often been accused of wanting to sit on two chairs. But I’ve never done that,” declared Lukashenko.

He emphasized Belarus’s ongoing efforts to develop friendly relations with neighbors, because, as he often says, they are a gift from God—they are not chosen by us.

“I must maintain relationships with them. I tell this to the Russians as well. And besides, I have interests in these countries—within the European Union, and even in distant America, primarily economic and diplomatic. What’s wrong with that? It’s natural,” the President stated.

At the same time, he underscored that Russia and China remain Belarus’s main allies, with other countries further afield also among the priorities.

“This is natural. The world is changing, after all. You can’t just sit in one cart like a hundred years ago or during Soviet times, and just ride along. The world has changed, and we must change with it. If we don’t, we’ll be wiped out, disintegrated, and destroyed,” the Belarusian leader is convinced.

How to ensure a stable and lasting peace in our region —this was perhaps the central theme of the two-hour conversation. Lukashenko makes it clear: Zelensky has delayed the peace process. If Ukraine had acted earlier—just as Belarus suggested— its territorial losses could have been minimized. Continued delays threaten catastrophe. But if Ukraine wants to remain on the global map, it must start negotiations now! Peace is possible, but only through sensible talks involving mutual concessions from all sides.

Lukashenko: Zelensky Must Stop Before Losing All of Ukraine

“Zelensky must stop, so that Kiev remained the capital of Ukraine. Otherwise, they risk losing Ukraine entirely,” said the Belarusian President.

It seems Ukrainians are holding on for now, but tomorrow the situation could shift so drastically that they may not withstand it. Therefore, it’s necessary to prepare for the worst—history warns us of this.

The Belarusian leader also noted that if Zelensky had listened to him in the past, Ukraine wouldn’t have lost such territories.

He added that Russia does not aim to conquer all of Ukraine or control it completely, because “Russia has enough land.”

“If negotiations are conducted wisely, with mutual concessions—Russia making compromises, Ukraine making concessions—then Russia will never fight Ukraine again. Never,” Lukashenko insists.

He also commented on rumors that Russia is preparing for war with NATO or plans to attack the Baltics and Poland. “That’s complete nonsense. Believe me, that’s not true. I know for sure. Neither Putin nor the Russian military-political leadership has such aims—to fight NATO. That would be foolish. In the foreseeable future—definitely. Unless you do something really stupid… We have enough problems here,” the President emphasized.

Discussions about war and peace, our foreign policy, relations with neighbors, and upcoming elections—domestic and abroad—continue to be widely debated in the media following the interview with our President. Many agree that it is vital for the West to hear Belarus’s honest and open position. But the truth is, they often aren’t ready to listen to our arguments.

Alina Zhistovskaya, political technologist and member of the Russian Association of Political Consultants:

“Undoubtedly, this is a very strong start. It explains the strategic routes of the special operation—information that very few have discussed. And the ending is powerful, when they asked him about military tribunals, for Russians only. Lukashenko said that justice belongs only to the victors, and neither Americans nor the fascist-leaning Ukrainians will ever defeat us,” she commented.

“This is incredibly strong—fantastically so. The other theses, we’ve heard before. I think this interview isn’t aimed at the Russian world alone, even though it was conducted in Russian. It’s meant for Europeans and Americans. Let them listen, and weigh it. Let them compare it with what their leaders are saying now: one thing in the morning, another in the evening, a third at lunch—and they’ll do something unpredictable, and won’t explain their actions to anyone,” she added.

Oreshnik as a Deterrent Factor Against Western Aggression

Anatoly Bulavko, deputy of the Belarusian House of Representatives:

“I’d like to draw attention to the President’s response regarding nuclear weapons, the Oreshnik, and how Americans react to it. I want to emphasize one point: the President’s unequivocal statement that Belarus, like Russia, does not intend to use such weapons. But this weapon remains an effective deterrent against aggressive states,” he noted.

Watch the full interview with the President on our website news.by and on the multimedia portal videobel.by/.