Aleksandr Lukashenko: politics doesn’t like noise, results are needed

What will relations between West and East be like, who pushed Ukraine towards war and why, will Russia and the USA be able to become allies, and what did the Belarusian leader advise Trump? Here are the details from the high-profile interview the President gave to American blogger Mario Nawfal.

On February27th, Aleksandr Lukashenko gave an interview to American blogger and entrepreneur Mario Nawfal. For an hour and a half, the Head of State answered the most pressing questions — as always, honestly and impartially. The Belarusian leader’s bold stance, his ability to look beyond the horizon of events and anticipate many things in global politics impress many and cannot fail to evoke admiration. Hence the huge interest in Aleksandr Lukashenko’s personality from various media outlets, including representatives of the so-called new media, to which Mario Nawfal also belongs. A single short post on the X social network, where he announced that his interview with the President of Belarus would be published on Tuesday, March 4th, garnered millions of views. ‘I had the honour of speaking with a powerful and behind-the-scenes world leader... Prepare to be shocked’ — such an announcement will definitely not leave anyone indifferent. We published some fragments of this conversation last Thursday. Today is a continuation of the topic.

BELTA

On bringing West and East closer together

American blogger and businessman, and creator of the Roundtable project on platform X (formerly Twitter), Mario Nawfal, claims that he sees his mission as building bridges between the West and the East through new media. He also advocates for the US and Russia to become true allies. Therefore, the first question from the interviewer is quite logical: does Aleksandr Lukashenko believe that the bridge to be built between the West and the East is shorter than the media portrays it to be? And isn’t it time for Russia and the US to go back to the relations they had, for example, in the early 2000s?
The Belarusian leader believes that in politics, it does not happen like this, “You do not return to something. And there is no need to do so in the current situation. We need to keep moving forward. 

If we have moved away from that good line, then we need to get back to this line. But there is no need to return to the past. In politics, it is impossible — especially now, when everything is changing very quickly, the times are turbulent. There is no need to go back anywhere, we need to look forward and move forward.”

On mediation in dialogue

In response to a question about the possibility of Belarus acting as a mediator in the dialogue between East and West, Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that he hates mediation most of all, “Especially to be a mediator between the US and Russia, or the US and China, and so on. God forbid that we should be some kind of mediator between these giants. In order to be a mediator, as the situation is showing today, you need to have a powerful resource or something else.
I am a supporter of sincere politics. Therefore, if I can help somewhere, organise or push some process — if it is within my power and the power of my state — I would do so with great pleasure, but only to make things better for people.”
The Head of State noted that he feels great optimism in connection with the policies of the current US administration,

“They are doing a great job, and Trump is doing a great job. He often speaks and does something to end the war in Ukraine, in the Middle East. This is worth a lot in foreign policy. It is a brilliant idea. This is where I am ready to back them and do whatever is necessary to end the war and improve people’s lives.

It is not normal when young guys are dying at the front today. While the majority of society lives more or less normally, and a certain part of society lives quite well, and some people are dying for some interests. This is not normal. Yet, I would in no way want to be some kind of mediator, especially in normalisation of relations in Ukraine. If someone needs me, or if those in charge of resolving this issue show interest in Belarus, we are always ready for this. But we will not get involved in this showdown.”  

On war in Ukraine and role of USA in this process

Even before the war in Ukraine started, the President of Belarus had warned that the situation could not be normalised without the United States, and everything would depend on the position taken by the USA and its closest allies, “That is what happened. Would the conflict in Ukraine flare up if the US, England and other Western countries had not supported this war by supplying weapons to Ukraine? The conflict would not have happened. Well, someone needed this war.
Elon Musk is right to start the audit of the spending of US funds. USAID [United States Agency for International Development] was closed and so on. What were they doing? They funded coups in countries. More than five billion dollars — and that what is known so far — was sent to Ukraine in order to carry out the Maidan coup. For what?”
According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, the unrest in Belarus in 2020 was also financed from the same sources.
To a clarifying question about who pushed Ukraine into the war, the President replied, “I am absolutely convinced that Great Britain and the Biden administration were involved in the next round of escalation in Ukraine. This was a co-ordinated position of Americans and the British, expressed by Johnson [former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson].
According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, today we are all, and especially representatives of the media, immersed in the search for reasons and those responsible for unleashing this conflict, “We will find out who is to blame later. We will discuss in detail and understand the reasons for this. This is not the main issue on the agenda today. Here, I would like to once again emphasise the position of the current US administration. It is only thanks to this administration that the issue of ending the war has become so urgent. 
The conflict must be stopped. We need to make sure that they stop shooting at each other at the first stage. After all, it is brothers who shoot at each other. Ukrainians and Russians are kindred people.
We are monitoring the situation at the front and we hear Russians and Ukrainians saying: they are fighting well. Why? This is because we all graduated from the same military academies. It so happened that they are now fighting against each other. So this needs to be stopped — and here we are on the same page with Americans — we must do everything for this.” 

On Belarusian-Ukrainian border                                 Aleksandr Kulevsky

On Belarus’ position on Ukrainian issue

Commenting at the blogger’s request on the first hours and days after the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, the President stated that Belarus initially sought to do everything to stop the war in Ukraine, “I am often asked if I knew that this war would start in February. If I had known, I would not have defended Ukraine then. At that moment we were already at war with Ukraine — an economic war. Ukraine had imposed sanctions against us earlier than Americans and Western Europe, and closed the border. They seized thousands of our railway freight cars with goods (they still have not returned them) and about a thousand heavy-duty trucks. 
They arrested 75 of our citizens, drivers who worked on these vehicles. I had to carry out a special operation to get them out of there. They killed three of them and mutilated their bodies so that we would not understand how it happened. So why should I have defended Ukraine?
That is, Ukraine had escalated relations with Belarus earlier than Americans and the entire West. So there is nothing to blame us for. Nevertheless, we spoke out against the war, we wanted peace. That was our position.” 

On Trump’s victory in presidential election

Mario Nawfal’s next question concerned Donald Trump’s rise to power. What can be expected from his return to the White House? Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked on this matter, “The elections were very difficult in the USA. When Trump allegedly lost to Biden in the previous elections [in 2020], I publicly stated in the Parliament, literally a few days later, that this was unfair. Biden did not defeat Trump. Then the trials began. Not only were those who stormed the Capitol convicted, but Trump himself was dragged through the courts. I was regularly making statements that this is not democracy at all. It is something terrible.

After everything that happened in the US — even though I supported Trump — I did not think he would win. When he won, I said directly that he went through the United States like a bulldozer and won. This is an incredible person, and what happened was incredible.” 

On Trump’s words and deeds

The Belarusian leader stated that there had been many very good actions and statements from the new US administration, “You [referring to the Trump administration] want to see where the American money was spent under Biden, how corrupt the Washington elites and US officials are. There is nothing wrong with that. I welcome this. This is the right thing to do. You have declared the normalisation of relations in the Gaza Strip in the Middle East, you want to stop wars and conflicts — that is brilliant. The whole world dreams of this.” 
However, according to Aleksandr Lukashenko, there were also many outrageous statements from Trump that should not have been voiced, “For example, he and Musk published a video about how they will make the residents of the Gaza Strip happy by evicting everyone from their territory, distributing them among other countries, and so on. Firstly, it is unrealistic. And secondly, even if he wanted to build something there, he should not have talked about it in that way, promoting himself on some platform and creating some videos. It is unacceptable in politics. It is a mistake. And the current US administration makes a lot of such mistakes — not in substance but in form. 
You need to cool off in the US today, calm down, and focus on what you have voiced. You have said a lot of good things. But most importantly, you must deal with the internal problems of the United States. During the election campaign, you made a lot of promises to people, to voters. If you do not make any progress within a year, terrible, turbulent times await you.” 

On US-China relations

Another piece of sincere advice from Aleksandr Lukashenko to Donald Trump is not to spoil relations with China, “You need to come to an agreement with China. I know China very well, for over 30 years. China has developed before my eyes. You cannot stop China. One and a half billion people there are eager to defend their country until the last man standing. It is a very high-tech country. Find agreement with the Chinese. This will be in the interests of the entire planet. And don’t think of pulling Russia closer to you so that Russia and China damage their relations. This will never happen. President Putin and the Russian leadership understand who remained their friends in difficult times.” 

On possible alliance between Russia and USA

The blogger told the Belarusian leader that he had expressed an unpopular opinion on platform X, that the US and Russia will not only normalise relations in the next 10 years, but will probably become allies, as they were 80 years ago. The question for the President is, “What do you think is the probability of this? Or have we already passed the point of no return?”
Aleksandr Lukashenko is convinced that it is quite possible, “First of all, nothing is impossible in life. Secondly, Russia will always be your ally — after all it remains one of the most powerful military states — but not against anyone in particular. You and Russia can unite against a common adversary only if that adversary poses threat to both Russia and you. Currently, Russia has no enemies, and the US, by and large, has no enemies either.
Therefore, for the world to maintain balance and avoid confusing wars (like those in the Middle East or Ukraine), for conflicts not to happen, this alliance between Russia and the United States is possible and important. An alliance would be crucial for economic development. This will take some time.” 
In response to a clarifying question from the representative of the new media, as to whether Vladimir Putin is interested in maintaining the kind of relationship with the US that existed in the early 2000s, the Head of State confirmed his Russian counterpart’s desire, emphasising that the Russian leadership is interested in good and friendly relations with the United States, “This is beneficial not only for Russia but also for the United States.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko also recounted that the Russian leader confirmed his readiness for negotiations to resolve the situation in Ukraine, including with the Ukrainian side, “When the issues of Ukraine are resolved, I think no one will solve them without Ukraine.”
The Belarusian leader also underscored that it is necessary to persuade Vladimir Zelensky to reach an agreement because a significant portion of Ukrainian society supports him,

“Therefore, you need to come to an agreement. If you are interested, come here. It is nearby — just 200 kilometres from the Belarusian border to Kiev, which is a half-hour flight. Let’s sit down quietly, without noise or shouting. Let’s come to an agreement. Please tell Trump that I am here, waiting for him with Putin and Zelensky. We will have a calm discussion and come to an understanding, if you want to negotiate.”

Everyone is tired of war… Ukrainian military man. Dnepropetrovsk Region, February 2025              REUTERS

On attitude to Vladimir Zelensky

The blogger shared with the President his attitude to Vladimir Zelensky, noting that the President of Belarus might disagree. The blogger said that he felt somewhat sorry for Zelensky, “He found himself in a difficult situation. On the one hand, he seemed like a courageous man. On the other hand, he made a lot of mistakes and missteps that led us to the current situation. Overall, I think if he had acted differently, we would not be in this position now…”
Aleksandr Lukashenko shared this view, admitting that he also feels sorry for Zelensky, “I treated him like my own son. We had a very good relationship. I was in Ukraine, we held talks with Zelensky. He struck me as an intelligent man. However, there were things he did not fully grasp at the time. These were his first steps in office. He would ask me questions like: ‘How do you handle this?’, ‘What should be done?’ Our relationship was warm and friendly. But the fact that he yielded to the influence of extreme nationalist forces is bad. It is clear that he probably had no one to rely on at the very beginning of his presidential career. He was trying to manoeuvre. Back then, the nationalists in Ukraine held significant power, so he clearly sided with the strong. He should not have done that. He made a number of mistakes due to the lack of experience. When a person is inexperienced, it is important not to rush. Think carefully before taking any action. You should talk to someone and seek advice. What matters most is the interests of your voters and the people of Ukraine.”
The Belarusian leader reminded the interviewer that Vladimir Zelensky had promised Ukrainians a lot, “His main promise was to bring an end to the war. But in reality, he did everything to stoke the fire of the war. He escalated this conflict to an extraordinary level.”

On reasons for start of conflict in Ukraine and Putin’s attitude

Mario Nawfal also asked the President whether the Russian leader had ever regretted starting the special military operation, and whether he considered the decision to be correct.
Aleksandr Lukashenko’s position is that there is always a choice. He also noted that it was not just about NATO’s expansion to the East, but even more about the threats that were being created in Ukraine, “He [Vladimir Putin] saw threats to Russia emanating from there, and those threats were publicly directed at him. This is one of the major reasons behind what transpired.”
Answering the question of whether Vladimir Putin regretted the decision he had made, the Head of State admitted that he had not spoken to his counterpart on this topic, but shared his opinion, “I know him quite well. Putin did not think that it would turn into such a war. Otherwise, he would not have agreed to negotiations. When Putin realised the high number of casualties, he immediately sought negotiations to halt the conflict, to reach an agreement concerning NATO, demilitarisation, and denazification, as he said, ensuring that Russians would not be killed, so that the Russian language would not be suppressed in Ukraine. This was all on the agenda. He wanted to negotiate once he saw how things had escalated. It seems he likely only regretted the situation because it turned into such a full-scale conflict, into a war — which he probably did not anticipate.”

On Wagner PMC mutiny in Russia

The blogger recalled ‘a very scary day for the world’ in June 2023, related to the armed mutiny of the Wagner private military company (PMC) and Aleksandr Lukashenko’s role in resolving that conflict. Mario Nawfal asked the Belarusian leader to share details of that day.
The Belarusian leader remarked that the topic was very broad and did not reveal all the details, but spoke about telephone conversations with Yevgeny Prigozhin [head of Wagner PMC] and Vladimir Putin, adding that if Prigozhin had not listened to him, Minsk would have sent its troops to defend Moscow. Aleksandr Lukashenko also recounted that a recording of his conversation with Prigozhin, deliberately distorted using artificial intelligence, had been published online. “I managed to convince Prigozhin that he would not achieve his goals. I told him: ‘Zhenya, we have a good relationship, but you understand that now it is about high-level interstate relations. Please think it over and give me an answer’,” the Head of State recalled, mentioning that Yevgeny Prigozhin agreed to his terms and turned his men towards Belarus, where they were stationed.

On possibility of nuclear war

The blogger rightly noted that the world we live in is fragile, and the topic of nuclear war has been raised very frequently over the past three years. Mario Nawfal asked the President how close he believes the world is to a nuclear conflict, and whether he knows of Vladimir Putin’s desire to press the red button.
Aleksandr Lukashenko admitted that he did not think the Russian leader was put in a situation where he felt he had to press the red button, “We did not discuss this issue directly, but indirectly, we could see where things were heading. Putin never indicated that he was ready for extreme measures. I do not think he is ready. He was as ready to press the red button as you were ready for this in the United States of America, in England or France. I know you were not prepared for this. In the same way, Putin was not ready for this either.
Putin is convinced that there are currently no significant reasons to unleash a nuclear war, and he understands better than anyone what the consequences could be. Therefore, I can say with absolute certainty that Putin had never held a remote control with the red button in his hands in order to press this red button a few minutes later. If aggression is committed against Belarus and Russia, then all methods of response will be employed.”
The Belarusian leader also confessed that he was pleased with the election of Donald Trump as US President in a situation where the world had already started talking about nuclear war, “Trump has a large family. Trump has many young children, grandchildren. I am glad that he was elected because he has children, and I see that he loves his big family very much. It seems to me that a person who has love for children and family will never press the red button.”

On future of NATO, Europe, and multipolarity

Another question from the blogger touched upon the future of NATO and the alliance, if Russia and the United States normalise relations.
The President emphasised that any system is stable if it rests on multiple support pillars, “In our world, the United States serves as one pillar of support for our planet, China is the second pillar. The European Union, powerful and technologically advanced, is the third pillar. Russia and India are perhaps smaller pillars, but they have been holding our planet up. If we rely solely on one pillar — the United States — there is a high chance that this system (our planet) will collapse. It will be also difficult to hold on two pillars — China and the USA. Therefore, the third pillar represented by the European Union was crucial for the entire world. I believe that the third pillar should not be destroyed, it must be preserved.” 
Aleksandr Lukashenko believes that, despite the incomprehensible policies pursued by the EU today, there will be sensible individuals who will be able to save the European Union and improve relations, including with Belarus and Russia. The Head of State stressed the need to end the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and expressed hope that these issues would be resolved this year. 

“Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) also passed through Ukraine towards Western Europe... China did not need war in any way.”      
REUTERS

On Chinese leader’s attitude to war

The Head of State said that he has very good relations with Xi Jinping, and they have known each other for a long time, “I can say with absolute certainty: not only does Xi Jinping not want war, he does not want any aggravation of relations. He does not need confrontation. That is inherent in the Chinese, it is in their blood. They are completely opposed to war. I know for sure that this conflict is not needed for Chinese interests. Their Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) also passed through Ukraine towards Western Europe... China did not need war in any way.”

On second chance for dissenters in 2020

Mario Nawfal asked the President a question on behalf of his client, who was born in Belarus and lived in Russia, about whether the Head of State was ready to turn the page on 2020 and give a second chance to those who did not support the government. “We are already working on it, and this is my task,” Aleksandr Lukashenko underlined.

“Those who made a mistake, those who were befuddled — they should live in their homeland, start families and raise children. This is one of my tasks.” 

On message for Western audience

Concluding the interview, the blogger asked the Belarusian leader to articulate his message to a Western audience.
The Head of State admitted that he had not planned to say anything, “I can just wish prosperity to the United States of America and the American people, first of all; and secondly, the implementation of specific plans that the new US administration has laid out.
I want Donald Trump to be an effective president. I want what Trump promises to the American people and to all of us to come true. But this needs to be done on a daily basis. Time is running out. As for Europeans, we live on the same continent. Belarus is the centre of Europe. Belarus is the heart of Europe. Everything stems from this. I can say, as we often say here: let’s live in peace.” 
Aleksandr Lukashenko called for the preservation of everything — created around us by the hands of God and people — for our children and future generations, “I urge Americans and Europeans to ensure that our children and grandchildren live well. That is the main thing.”
“Mr President, I really appreciate this discussion, I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you for your time,” said Mario Nawfal.

COMMENTS

Marat Markov, Information Minister (on the Budni (Weekdays) talk show),
“In my opinion, the interviewer was chosen correctly. It is a young man, 30 years old, successful, and essentially a representative of a new breed of businessman. He is active, competent, with a good education and a solid background. Most importantly, he uses social network X, which has a fairly young audience, an audience of active people who promote businesses, facilitate or make important decisions, including political ones. Mario Nawfal’s programmes garner around thirty-five million views. Note also who he meets, these are presidents, billionaires, truly famous figures. 
It is very important how the blogger characterised the interview with our President. He essentially stated that Aleksandr Lukashenko is a unique, powerful individual and politician, and the world should know what our Head of State thinks.”

Davide Carbonaro, Italian journalist who lived and worked in Poland for 20 years and has now moved to Belarus,
“Many people in the West, especially in the United States, are unaware of Belarus’ peaceful stance. The media often presents a false image of the country as closed and authoritarian, as a result of which Belarus’ true intentions and actions remain unknown. The Head of State’s interview is a step towards changing this perception, an opportunity to show the world the truth. It is worth noting that Belarus, despite its uneasy history and geopolitical position, strives to be a bridge between East and West. This interview proves that Belarus has something to offer the world and that its voice in international affairs should be taken into account.”

Kirill Koktysh, Professor of Political Theory Department at Moscow Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), Doctor of Political Sciences,  “Aleksandr Grigorievich [Lukashenko] always and in every situation has a clear vision of how to implement, connect, and promote the interests of the Republic of Belarus. It is clear that, in discussing foreign policy issues with the American blogger, the primary focus was on the positioning of Belarus, the attitude of Belarus, and the role of Belarus as a participant in the SCO and an associated member of BRICS. Being probably the only country in the European region to have joined these global organisations, accordingly, it can now discuss politics from the perspective of large geopolitical formats. After all, there is really nothing comparable in either Eastern or Western Europe. Therefore, Aleksandr Grigorievich acted in a new role in this regard — and acted quite commendably.”

‘I am very grateful to Lukashenko for his honesty’

An interview with Aleksandr Lukashenko by blogger Mario Nawfal has sparked a flurry of reactions and comments from X platform users around the world

Mario’s blog has over two million followers, mostly crypto entrepreneurs and IT specialists from around the world. Even before the full interview with President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko was published, it was clear that it was generating huge interest among the social network’s audience. And it proved to be so. A feature of the X social network is that the free version allows messages of no more than 280 characters. Yet, even from the few sentences that make up the reviews, it is obvious that this interview was truly impressive.

Thus, Europeans thanked Mario for giving them the opportunity to hear what the President of Belarus had to say. 
“In the West I mean Europe we don’t hear a lot from Lukashenko! Thank you Mario for giving us this unique opportunity to listen to a man down to earth who doesn’t mince his words and speaks with common sense and courtesy! Well done Mario!!” wrote Marie Merz from France.

ABHINAV KUMAR YADAV from India drew attention to the unique information voiced by the Head of State, “Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko shares unprecedented insights into the Russia-Ukraine war, revealing secret talks with Putin, blocked peace deals, and nuclear war threats. He exposes Western interference.” 

One user noted that Aleksandr Lukashenko’s interview sends several strong signals on the geopolitical chessboard. In his opinion, it has a strategic subtext, “Negotiations, not escalation, is the way forward. Stay alert in this global power game.”
Users on X also expressed words of gratitude to the President of Belarus for his openness. “I am very grateful to Lukashenko for his honesty and willingness to share his thoughts and experience,” one message read. 
“The fact that he is very honest is one of the things that really pleases me,” said another.
In their feedback, viewers admitted that the interview had impressed them.  “Amazing, informative and in-depth interview. Lukashenko is a great leader of Belarus. I hope there will be peace between Russia and the USA. However, first they need to deal with Nazi Europe!” one user wrote. “Excellent work, and it should make everyone stop and think, rather than rush into things like a bull in a china shop,” another message stated.
User Michael Harris drew particular attention to the President of Belarus’ words about the fact that brothers are fighting in this war, “It is sad that they don’t understand that Ukraine and Russia are actually brothers.”

By Polina Konoga, Yevgeny Kononovich, Varvara Morozova, Svetlana Isaenok