Alyaksandr Lukashenka believes that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy should agree to the terms of peace offered to him by Russia. In his view, Ukraine is currently the side unwilling to negotiate. He shared this opinion with Russian propagandist and reporter Pavel Zarubin.
However, from Lukashenka’s lengthy remarks it is not entirely clear which terms he is referring to. It is possible he means the 28-point proposal whose content became known last week, though it has already undergone changes following U.S.–Ukrainian negotiations. Lukashenka also said he considers the plan hastily drafted and in need of clarification.
“First of all, yesterday we discussed this topic for a very long time with Vladimir Vladimirovich. As I understand it, both he and I see it as not yet final — an unofficial version, so to speak. Once it is transmitted through official channels to the Russians, we can then talk about specific things. But today I said that the plan is workable, and Vladimir Vladimirovich acknowledges that it is a good foundation for negotiations. And since I was once a deputy, I read everything yesterday — Vladimir Vladimirovich showed me: version one, version two, when the plan was broken down into parts.
Fine. I want to say right away — without offending Trump’s team — that it was drafted in haste. I don’t want to say entirely on the knee, but in haste. It must be presented in an acceptable form, and, as Vladimir Vladimirovich said, without broad interpretation, so that everything is concrete. Well, if there are territorial issues, they must be spelled out to the meter, the kilometer — which troops, where the troops are to be, who should be there, who should not, and so on and so forth. Everything must be written out in detail. Broad interpretation will later allow each side to interpret certain points in its own way. Therefore, everything must be absolutely concrete. I don’t want to go into details — perhaps this is not the place. The Americans are working on it. Enormous work has been done,” he said.
Lukashenka also emphasized that it is wrong to believe the plan reflects only Russia’s demands. The American side has negotiated with Ukraine more often and in greater volume.
“But I want to draw journalists’ attention — especially journalists — because, following the statements of Russian and Belarusian journalists and experts, I hear this: they often say the Americans took Russia’s demands into account, met in Anchorage in Alaska, took them into account, while Ukraine’s demands are ignored — that’s what Europeans say. We have heard this opinion.
I must say that the Americans did meet with Putin in Anchorage. But how many times did they meet with the Ukrainians? Trump with Zelenskyy? With the Europeans? Do you think they just had tea?
Or what you saw in the protocol footage at the start of negotiations? No. Trump and his team conducted very substantive and thorough work — substantive! I already said what I think about the shortcomings — but they did very extensive work with the Ukrainians, with the Europeans, with the Russians. Credit must be given to Trump for this. Therefore, it is not true to say the Americans only considered Russia’s position and not Ukraine’s. That is incorrect,” he said.
According to Lukashenka, Russia is currently the more willing side to negotiate. He then offered advice to President Zelenskyy, urging him to accept the proposals made to him.
“The issue is different. The issue is that Russia turned out to be more willing to negotiate than Ukraine. This must be acknowledged. And then look deeper.
Speaking simply — I often criticize Volodya Zelenskyy, and I won’t criticize him now. I advised him at the beginning of the war what to do — had he done that, there would not now be these 28 or however many issues. The situation would be completely different.
And if Ukraine had implemented the Minsk Agreements, there would be no war, and Ukraine would be within the borders it wants — those of 1991.
But if Volodya Zelenskyy wants to look at reality — I will say again, as someone whose earlier advice proved correct — I want not to advise him, because he may know the situation better than I do, but simply to tell him what I see. If you want Ukraine to remain within its current borders, considering realities at the front, you must negotiate. Do not torpedo the negotiation process.
If there is something you cannot agree on — and I did not see anything in that proposal that cannot be negotiated — but if suddenly there is some demilitarized zone, some pieces here and there in Donbas — well, let them remain for later. Leave that for later, but stop the war, where not your children die, but others’ children.
That is the main problem for Zelenskyy. Other people are dying. This must be kept in mind. And most importantly — you will lose the country. If what they say is true, that something has been bought somewhere earlier — of course, you will find a place to live, for yourself, your children, Olena, your wife, for your parents too. But what will Ukrainians do — millions of people?
So think, based on the real situation, about how to preserve what you still have — your access to the sea, Odesa is yours, Mykolaiv. All of that can disappear in one moment, in an instant.
So everything must be weighed carefully. And Trump is right here, when he pressures both sides. But if, speaking bluntly, Russia can be pressured into an agreement, Ukraine cannot. And here the European Union plays a negative role. This war must be stopped. In this war, I fear there will be no winners.
Do you know why there will be none if suddenly… And if there is a winner — it will not be the European Union, if America, the United States, abandons them. That is what I can say spontaneously. We will think more about this. A great and difficult job lies ahead. There are many things there: the Zaporizhzhia plant, Russia’s gold and currency reserves. Everything is included, not without U.S. interests. Trump’s mark is there as an economist,” Lukashenka concluded.
At the same time, Lukashenka expressed optimism about the prospects for reaching a peace agreement.
“I believe in it more than ever. We discussed this again yesterday. One must not become complacent or indulge in the process. This is war. And at any moment — even while we are speaking — an unforeseen situation may arise that could reverse the entire course of events. War is war — a critically dangerous moment for any society and country.
Therefore, one must not relax; both sides must remain fully engaged. But these proposals, which have been recognized and accepted — mostly accepted — by President Putin and President… Trump’s team proposed them.
And I think the Europeans will understand they must accept them, and the Ukrainians as well. What is there for Europeans to resist? The proposal is for a 600,000-strong army, while Europeans want 800,000. For God’s sake — 600,000 troops must be maintained. Poland today, a stronger economy, has 200,000.
But they want more. Eight hundred thousand — can you imagine? Russia has roughly that, and Russia is vast. They cling to anything. So the matter is not the content of the peace treaty from the European perspective. The point is that they do not want peace — though they do not understand why they need this war. They are not winning it. They say the British are behaving rather dishonorably and have taken such a position. I think they will wisen up,” Lukashenka said.