Belarussian president says Trump 'went through the US like a bulldozer and won'

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko on Wednesday described US President Donald Trump's election victory as "unbelievable," saying: "He went through the US like a bulldozer and won."

In an interview with an American blogger, Lukashenko praised Trump’s efforts to end global conflicts but suggested being more cautious with his public remarks. "Too many statements were made that shouldn't have been said at all."

Regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine, Lukashenko urged a measured approach toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, claiming that he had warned him about potential shifts in US policy.

"I told him that a new administration would come to power in the US, and politics would change. I told him that nobody would support you in the war. And so it happened," he said.

Lukashenko ruled out acting as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine but reiterated Belarus' willingness to serve as a venue for peace negotiations.

"Come. Let's sit here… calmly, without noise, without shouting… and reach an agreement. Tell Trump that I am waiting for him here with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and Zelenskyy. Let's sit down and work things out," he said.

He defended Putin’s decision to launch the "special military operation" in Ukraine, arguing that Moscow perceived significant security threats from Ukrainian territory.

Lukashenko also suggested that a resolution to the war could have been reached in March 2022 during negotiations in Istanbul if then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had not encouraged Kyiv to continue fighting. He claimed Ukraine now faces less favorable conditions than before.

Regarding the deployment of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, he asserted that Russia remains firmly opposed to the idea.

-US Relations with China, Russia, and EU

Discussing US-EU relations, Lukashenko reminded Trump: "These are your allies. They followed your orders," while encouraging him to engage with China diplomatically.

"You will not stop China. This is not us, not Russia; this is China. One and a half billion people are trained to defend their country. Coming to an agreement with the Chinese will be in the interests of the entire planet," he said.

He described Chinese President Xi Jinping as a leader who avoids conflict:

"Xi Jinping does not want war or heightened tensions. He doesn’t need confrontation. It’s in the Chinese blood. They will quietly, calmly act, and they know that in this silence, they can succeed," he remarked.

Regarding future US-Russia relations, Lukashenko acknowledged America's global influence, saying: "The US is the world's leading country… high-tech, wealthy, and capable of much. Russia understands this and will seek to establish strong relations with the US."

To a question on Russia-EU ties, he noted that Europe has historically benefited from access to Russian resources and suggested that geopolitical competition between the EU and the US may have influenced tensions.

"The EU is an economic competitor to the US. Perhaps that is why unity between Russia and the EU was not in America's interest," he believed.

Regarding allegations that Putin might initiate a nuclear war, Lukashenko dismissed the claims, saying: "I have never seen even a hint of such thinking in Putin."