MOSCOW: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko provided in an interview revealed on Wednesday to host Russia-Ukraine peace talks that would contain US officers.
“Inform (US President Donald) Trump that I anticipate him right here with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky,” Lukashenko proposed in a video interview with US blogger Mario Nawfal reported by state information company Belta.
Lukashenko is a detailed Putin ally, and his nation is below US and European sanctions over its assist for Russia’s navy motion in Ukraine and a authorities crackdown on the opposition. Russia used Belarusian territory to ship some troops into Ukraine in 2022.
However the 70-year-old president went on: “We’re going to sit down and calmly make an accord. If you wish to make an accord.”
Lukashenko mentioned there needed to be an accord with Zelensky “since a big a part of Ukrainian society is with him.”
“There’s solely 200 kilometres (125 miles) between the Belarus frontier and Kyiv. Half an hour in a airplane. Come,” he declared within the interview recorded on February 27.
Lukashenko praised Trump’s efforts to speak with Russia and finish the three-year-old battle.
“Trump is an efficient man, he talks about it quite a bit and has already performed one thing to finish the conflict in Ukraine and the conflict within the Center East,” Lukashenko mentioned.
“It appears to me that his solely coverage is one aiming to finish the conflict. It’s a sensible concept.”
The discharge of the interview got here after Trump mentioned Tuesday that Zelensky had instructed him he was prepared for talks on a “lasting peace” with Russia.
Trump’s Washington assembly with Zelensky on Friday changed into an offended showdown and stress has mounted on Zelensky after Trump ordered the suspension of US navy assist to Ukraine.
Zelensky has since posted on social media that the conflict was “regrettable” and he wished “to make issues proper” with the US chief.