Interview with TV presenter Olga Skabeyeva

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko gave an interview to Olga Skabeyeva, a TV presenter of the TV channel Rossiya 1 as part of the official visit to Russia on 14 March.

The head of state was asked where there are any people in the European Union, who can negotiate. The President mentioned Ukraine as an example. He believes that there are no people like that in Ukraine. “No one. But we still talk to them after all. One has to talk to those, who want to talk. Well, we don’t see such a passionate desire to talk to us, to Russia, and so on. Although I am not going to talk about it. Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin] should do it. He has talked to them. They phoned him and told him things. He spoke to some. A private agreement had been reached about the conversation,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The head of state once again confirmed that he cannot share the details until the Russian President reveals them to the general public. “But he has told me about it. And I’ve concluded that if you want to talk, then you should talk. In private for now so that reporters would not find it out. Well, Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin] may risk revealing who made the calls. They called him to talk.”

The interviewer also asked Aleksandr Lukashenko about his attitude to Vladimir Zelensky. The President had referred to the Ukrainian President in different ways: Volodya [informal for Vladimir] and lice. “Well, Volodya was like a son to me. But he acted like a lice,” the head of state noted.

The head of state was asked how he understood Vladimir Putin's statement whether Russia agreed to the 30-day ceasefire or not. “He listened to what the envoy had to say yesterday [US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, who arrived in Moscow]. He will tell me what he thinks of it. I'll be seeing him. We will have dinner and talk through the night as usual. We will talk over this issue too. Well, I know where he stands. Yesterday he said more [in his statements to the media after the Belarusian-Russian talks in the Kremlin] than he was going to, including on the 30-day proposal. The question is: what and how? He asked these rhetorical questions,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “I know that his main wish is to stop all this!”

According to the head of state, the 30-day ceasefire proposed by the United States is not a novelty in itself. But it is important how it will be implemented. “Vladimir Vladimirovich is right. A ceasefire is good; the parties stop shooting, killing each other. The question is what Ukraine is going to do in the meantime? Ukrainians may raise the same question: what will the Russians be doing? They will have more difficulty to monitor things in Russia. The military-industrial complex will keep producing tanks, shells, ammunition. They will not deploy them to the frontline. They will keep them in warehouses. Who will prohibit that? No one. The question is how Ukraine and the West will monitor these things,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

Another question is arms deliveries to Ukraine during this month-long truce. “In the meantime, Poland has accumulated a certain number of weapons, ammunition in Rzeszów. Trump has announced that the USA is lifting all sorts of restrictions on ammunition supplies. Are they going to send weapons and mercenaries there during this 30-day ceasefire? Will the fight resume anew then? More people will die. Nobody knows what else may happen. Therefore, there are still a lot of questions about this ceasefire,” the head of state said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko reiterated that the USA had no clear plan for Ukraine. “They are exploring some things, testing the waters. Something of the kind. As a result, they, the USA, want to craft some plan of action,” he said. “There are no specifics.  These trips of high-ranking U.S. representatives and the special envoy prove that they are testing the waters, coordinating issues with Ukraine, with Russia in order to draw up some plan of action. It is not going to be easy.”

The Ukrainian propaganda claims that Ukraine's border with Belarus is currently extremely protected and will be even more protected going forward.

“I know this, they have truly gone to extraordinary lengths to do it. Not even a rooster or a hen can get through this border. They have already mined everything. Mined, barricaded. Well, this is not propaganda, these are idiots spreading falsehoods. On this barricaded border there are windows through which we cooperate with the Ukrainians. We, the Russians, and they [Ukraine] - with us. We exchange hundreds of the dead, hundreds of prisoners of war,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.

An exchange of the wounded is also underway, and the Ukrainian side is already doing this near Gomel, not somewhere through Poland and Belovezhskaya Pushcha. “They are no longer afraid that Russia is nearby,” the President noted.

“The border area is alive and vibrant. And more and more Ukrainians and Russians are working through us, through Belarus. We are facilitating this,” the Belarusian leader emphasized. 

According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, the Ukrainian side also wants to conduct these exchanges through Belarus.

The head of state also shared some observations regarding the recent exchange. This particularly concerns those who sustained serious injuries, including amputees. Aleksandr Lukashenko asked Belarusian doctors about their condition, the attitude to the Russians in Ukraine. “Surprisingly, they received qualified medical help in Ukraine. They didn't abandon those who had dirty, festering wounds. No, the Ukrainians provided good medical assistance to wounded Russian prisoners of war on the spot,” he said.

“That means there are normal people there...” the interviewer concluded.

“Doctors and normal people,” Aleksandr Lukashenko confirmed.

The head of state was asked about statements in the European Union that a big war is coming in five years.

“Maybe they need it? Putin and the Russian leadership are not planning any war. There will be no war in five years,” Aleksandr Lukashenko is confident. “You see, we've had enough of it [the conflict in Ukraine]. Olya, you are a true fighter [media warfare is currently in full swing]. But would you support the war against Poland in five years? No, why do we need it? They just need to fan tensions”.

Aleksandr Lukashenko assumed that the EU spreads this message to justify the proposed military spending, the plans to create a European army and rearm. “If Trump takes the USA out of NATO, then NATO will be done for. So they will need to come up with something new, just in case. They have to explain their people their €800 billion plans [rearmament plan suggested by the head of the European Commission]. That is why they need this smokescreen in the media about our alleged plans to attack,” the head of state said.

“Look, if we were going to attack, I would know about it, because the whole operation would be through the Belarusian territory. The border with the Baltic states and Poland is 1,500km. We have no such plans,” the Belarusian leader assured. “I once discussed this issue with Putin when the Europeans started threatening to close the Baltic Sea for Russia to block its trade through it. I jokingly said then: “You know, Vladimir Vladimirovich, we will have to use warships to escort our dry cargo ships. We shared a laugh and that was it. But this seems to go quite realistic, if they try to lock us up in violation of international rules. We are not encroaching on their territory. We have never planned any attack on Europe. They know that very well.”

Asked whether he sees any ruse in the USA’s proposals towards Russia or whether the proposals “smell like peace” after all, the President said: “No, they cannot have any ruse. There is nothing [concrete] yet. I say no but it smells like peace. I think that this year we will manage to do something with this [war], stop it. Not only here but the war between the Jews and Palestine in the Middle East. Why? Because Donald [Trump, U.S. President] personally wants to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Be my guest. We will nominate him if only he could deliver this peace.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked that bringing about peace had been declared a key trend in the policy of the incumbent U.S. President after the matter of China. “It is quiet in the direction of China now while these [matters of the establishment of peace] are getting emphasized. This is why he will no longer be able to dodge. These events push him to produce results! This is why I don’t think that they are doing it like some ruse. No, it is no ruse, but you cannot trust them. Give me facts. We will look at these concrete facts and make decisions. In order to avoid getting fooled like we were in the past, as Putin says. I say we don’t want to be made fools of. They will not pull a fast one on us. We’ve had enough already,” the President said.