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Lukashenko says Putin seeks to achieve peace in Ukraine conflict

Belarusian President believes that Vladimir Zelensky also wants the end of the conflict

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko Sergey Sheleg/BelTA/TASS

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko

© Sergey Sheleg/BelTA/TASS

MINSK, December 17. /TASS/. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview with Newsmax TV channel that Russian leader Vladimir Putin seeks to achieve peace in the conflict in Ukraine.

"I believe that Putin wants peace [in Ukraine]," the Belarusian president said. An excerpt from the interview was cited by the BelTA news agency. "The same is true of [Vladimir] Zelensky. I am convinced of that as well. Especially now. He wants peace," Lukashenko believes.

According to him, the most dangerous scenario would be for the conflict to continue and for escalation to persist, as "this could end very badly for Europe and for the world as a whole." "It will inevitably escalate into some kind of global conflict. That is why it must be extinguished while it is still possible. There is now, as never before, such an opportunity, given that the Americans have become seriously engaged in this issue," Lukashenko noted. In his view, this is the most important foreign policy issue for the United States.

According to Lukashenko, the continuation of the conflict also bodes nothing good for Ukraine itself. "If Ukraine believes that it can defeat Russia and is ready to wage war, then let it fight. From my point of view — and I believe [US President Donald] Trump shares this view — if this kind of fighting continues, Ukraine will simply disappear from the map altogether and cease to exist," the Belarusian leader added.

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Ukraine crisis Vladimir Putin Belarus Alexander Lukashenko

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