Belarus leader praises Trump’s handling of Ukraine crisis

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By Lidia Kelly

(Reuters) – Belarusian leader and Russian ally Alexander Lukashenko said in remarks published on Wednesday that Moscow and Minsk benefit from how the United States treats Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and the rift between Washington and the EU.

In an interview with Mario Nawfal, a media personality on Elon Musk’s X, Lukashenko enthusiastically embraced U.S. President Donald Trump and his approach towards the war in Ukraine.

“It is only because of this administration that the issue of ending the war has become so urgent,” Lukashenko, who in January extended his 31-year reign in a presidential election Western governments rejected as a sham, told Nawfal.

“It benefits us that (Trump) showed Zelenskiy his place, he should know it.”

The war in Ukraine has brought Lukashenko more close than ever to President Vladimir Putin, whose invasion was launched in part from Belarusian territory. Putin has also since deployed Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

The Belarusian leader said that Trump had no goal other than to end wars, which he called a “brilliant” foreign policy.

“I am ready to stand next to him and do everything that is necessary to end the war and improve people’s lives,” Lukashenko said.

The EU and the United States have imposed several waves of sanctions on Minsk in response to repression and human rights violations following the 2020 presidential vote and the country’s involvement in the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

The recent rift between the United States and the EU are in the interests of Minsk, Lukashenko said.

“Let’s be honest, it’s beneficial for me, it’s useful for us that the U.S. and the EU have disagreements,” Lukashenko said without elaborating.

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Stephen Coates)