Alyaksandr Lukashenka says he is counting on a meeting with Donald Trump and a “big deal” involving the lifting of all U.S. sanctions. According to him, everything is moving in that direction.
“We are conducting a very difficult dialogue with the Americans,” Lukashenka said. He added that the process will continue after Valiantsin Rybakou returns to the United States, calling him his representative.
“They are already asking to plan further meetings and further talks. Everything is moving, as they said, toward a big deal. They like that word, I don’t really. Everything is moving toward the fact that we should meet with Trump and reach an agreement. On their side, they guarantee the lifting of all sanctions. They understand that there is no point in harassing us or Russia over the dollar. You want to preserve the dollar as a reserve currency, don’t you? You do. So why are you doing this? Trump understands this. As an economist. And he is a good businessman as well. So the truth is on our side, and time will put everything in its place,” Lukashenka said.
As a reminder, after the visit of John Coale, Lukashenka said he expected phone talks with Trump on Venezuela.
According to Lukashenka, a wide range of issues is being discussed in talks with the United States, but by agreement with the American side the details are not being disclosed.
Among the issues under discussion is the resumption of the work of the U.S. embassy in Minsk. The sides have so far been unable to agree on embassy security and staffing levels, Lukashenka said.
“What we have not agreed on is the numbers. They say: we have Marines, our procedure is that our people must guard the embassy. I say: thank you, no need. Kubrakou will ensure all security better than any Marines. If needed, we will involve Tertel, Khrenin, but we do not need American Marines here. They are thinking,” Lukashenka said.
“Then they raised the issue of whether they could hire staff from among your people so as not to bring them from America. Tertel was present at that meeting. I say: Ivan will give you the number of our people whom you can hire,” Lukashenka said.
He stressed that the U.S. embassy must not become a “breeding ground for infection.”
“We have already had a taste of this in 2020. … We will not go for allowing a few more mistakes and, God forbid, repeating 2020,” Lukashenka emphasized.
According to Lukashenka, Belarus does not want the United States to be an opponent or an enemy.
“We have one course — to normalize relations with them,” Lukashenka stressed.
He noted that Belarus will build relations with the United States “under no circumstances at the expense of other countries.” Lukashenka said that Vladimir Putin understands Minsk’s position on this issue.
“Not at Russia’s expense. On the contrary. Time will pass, and I will tell you,” Lukashenka promised.
Lukashenka also said that he had proposed that the United States buy the Nezhinsky Mining and Processing Plant, spoke about the killing of an opposition figure during detention and about the deployment of the Oreshnik system in Belarus, and touched on other topics ranging from toilet paper to minibuses.
