Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has unexpectedly spoken out against attempts by US President Donald Trump to influence who should lead Ukraine. According to Lukashenko, Ukrainians alone should choose their president.
This was reported by the Belarusian news agency BelTA.
Asked whether peace could be achieved in Ukraine under President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, amid Trump’s recent statements about the need to replace the Ukrainian leader, Lukashenko stressed that the matter was not for the US president to decide.
“Do you want an answer from me as a politician or a straightforward one? If you want a straightforward answer — and this is my firm belief — it is not Trump’s decision. The Ukrainian people will decide who becomes president of Ukraine,” Lukashenko said.
At the same time, he recalled that Zelenskyy had previously promised to serve only one presidential term.
“Promises must be kept. Elections must be held. Trump is right about that: if you made a promise, you must keep it. But there is no need to dictate. Trump should not dictate what Ukraine should do,” he said.
Lukashenko also noted that he had previously supported Donald Trump’s rise to power and believes the US president could still accomplish a great deal during the remainder of his term. However, in Lukashenko’s view, the American leader should not have been “giving orders like that.”
According to Lukashenko, Trump feels able to dictate terms to Zelenskyy because Ukraine depends on American support. He noted that Washington could use the suspension of intelligence sharing, weapons deliveries and other essential assistance as leverage.
