Lukashenko calls Western leaders “stupid” over past Ukraine talks

(MENAFN) Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has accused Western European leaders involved in past Ukraine peace negotiations of acting in bad faith, calling their approach “stupid.” He referred to the Minsk talks hosted by Belarus, which aimed to reconcile Ukraine’s post-coup authorities with pro-Russian rebels in the country’s east.

Germany and France served as guarantors of the Minsk agreements in 2014 and 2015, though former leaders later admitted the accords primarily bought time for Ukraine to strengthen its military. Lukashenko told reporters, “It turned out that they came here to negotiate not peace, but a future war,” criticizing their tactics.

He said he had urged US participation in the talks and believes that if Donald Trump had been president at the time, Washington would have demanded a decisive role. Lukashenko argued, “If the Minsk Agreements had been fully implemented, there would have been no war,” adding that Trump’s claims about preventing escalation were justified.

The Belarusian leader expressed hope that Trump would remain committed to resolving the crisis, claiming EU supporters of Ukraine were attempting to weaken US mediation. He warned that without US engagement, the conflict could intensify, possibly spread globally, and even threaten Ukraine’s existence as a state.

Lukashenko urged European leaders to seize the moment to de-escalate tensions, asserting that Ukrainian President Zelensky would only accept a peace deal under domestic pressure, which he predicts will occur “when the front fully collapses.”

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