Lukashenko makes new prediction about Ukraine war, brings up 'World War III'
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko (photo: Getty Images)
Aleksandr Lukashenko has said the war in Ukraine must be stopped, warning that otherwise the world could find itself on the brink of World War III, according to news agency TASS.
The Belarusian leader noted that there is no alternative to a peaceful settlement because all parties involved in the war are already tired of it. He also said Minsk is ready to host anyone interested in ending the hostilities.
He claimed that the war in Ukraine is already affecting his country's territory. However, he added, Minsk is doing everything possible to avoid being drawn into the fighting.
Lukashenko also said Russian President Vladimir Putin is aware of attempts to drag Belarus into the conflict and allegedly does not want to allow this himself.
He separately claimed that Russia is fighting in Ukraine against the entire West, adding that Minsk supposedly understands this well and is not simply repeating someone else's narratives.
At the same time, Lukashenko said Western countries do not realize the scale of the potential military conflict they are preparing for.
During his speech, the Belarusian leader also praised US President Donald Trump's efforts to prevent further escalation. He claimed that the American leader had prevented Europeans from triggering a nuclear conflict. In Lukashenko's view, Trump should have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for this.
Lukashenko also claimed that Belarus had taken in around 500,000 Ukrainians since the start of the war. He said there have been no conflicts with them, and Ukrainians have supposedly found a second home in the country and are working well.
Notably, despite Aleksandr Lukashenko's statements about his unwillingness to drag Belarus into the war, Moscow still views Belarusian territory as an important element of its military strategy.
In particular, on October 17, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Vladimir Putin was looking for ways to expand Russia's military presence in Belarus. According to the president, the Kremlin wants to deploy ballistic missiles there, which would pose an additional threat to Ukraine's western regions.
Meanwhile, tensions along Belarus's western borders persist. In early October, Latvia reported an attempted illegal border crossing by a group of at least 20 migrants accompanied by armed, masked individuals.
Lukashenko rejected the accusations, claiming that the incident had allegedly been staged by the Latvian side to secure funding from the European Union.
