{"id":192014,"date":"2026-06-16T12:26:07","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T09:26:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/192014\/"},"modified":"2026-06-16T14:03:51","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T11:03:51","slug":"lukasenka-apologizes-to-zelensky-hopes-washington-will-advance-his-interests-in-europe","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/192014\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0141uka\u0161enka apologizes to Zelensky, hopes Washington will advance his interests in Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In an interview with Al Arabiya<\/em> broadcast on June 15, Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka unexpectedly offered an apology to the Ukrainian president and said he hoped Washington would put pressure on Europe in the interests of his regime.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n (Websites of the Belarusian, Ukrainian and US leaders\/ Pozirk's collage)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe I went too far\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Belarusian leader struck a somewhat apologetic tone when discussing Volodymyr Zelensky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe I went too far, but it was my response to his off-key remarks: \u2018We have identified 500 targets, we know where \u0141uka\u0161enka is located, we will strike with missiles and drones tomorrow,\u2019\u201d he said, attributing the statement to the Ukrainian president, although the threats were actually made by Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine\u2019s drone forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf Volodymyr Aleksandrovich was offended by these words, I apologize to him,\u201d he added, respectfully addressing Zelensky by his patronymic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Belarusian ruler was referring to his own threat to assassinate Zelensky, made on the sidelines of a Eurasian summit in Astana on May 29.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey may have identified 500 targets\u2026 But we have one target, a very serious one, with accurate coordinates and not far from Belarus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking in Astana, \u0141uka\u0161enka dismissed Zelensky\u2019s remarks as \u201cempty talk\u201d and suggested that he had made them while under the influence of drugs. In doing so, he repeated Russian propaganda\u2019s false claims portraying the Ukrainian leader as a drug abuser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advice to Putin: meet halfway<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the interview, \u0141uka\u0161enka acknowledged that Belarus would be highly vulnerable if Ukraine attacked it in the same way it attacks Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe perfectly understand that our key life-support, production, and logistics facilities would come under fire,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the Belarusian ruler fully supports Vladimir Putin, unlike the Russian president he appears genuinely interested in seeing the war end sooner rather than later, before it spills over into Belarus. He is also eager to participate in peace negotiations and potentially in Ukraine\u2019s reconstruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNeither Americans nor Europeans will invest there because this is foreign land for them,\u201d he told Al Arabiya<\/em>. \u201cWe need to get through this conflict, sit down at the negotiating table\u2014the three of us: \u0141uka\u0161enka, Putin, and Zelensky\u2014and agree on how we will deal with the consequences of this conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although he claimed that Russian troops currently have the upper hand over Ukrainian forces on the battlefield, he stressed that the conflict has no military solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This conclusion may be driven by fears that Ukraine could eventually gain the upper hand and retaliate against his regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why he urged all parties, including Putin, to work toward a compromise. In fact, he used the word \u201ccompromise\u201d at least four times during the interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is Trump willing to advance the Belarusian ruler\u2019s interests?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Asked whether the United States could exert pressure on European countries to restore ties with Belarus, \u0141uka\u0161enka replied:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be good. I have never rejected it. If the Americans wish to put pressure on or influence some European countries, they can do it. They do influence some countries. It would be good if the Americans helped us normalize relations with our neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Washington has already encouraged Lithuania to reach a compromise with Belarus regarding potash exports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, it has reportedly sent an official letter to Kyiv urging consideration of Belarusian potash transit. If Trump is genuinely interested in purchasing Belarusian potassium chloride, he has tools at his disposal to influence the Ukrainian leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In reality, \u0141uka\u0161enka could address many of these issues without Washington\u2019s help if he eased repression, released political prisoners and ended the migration crisis. However, he remains reluctant to make political concessions. As for Belarus\u2019s support for Russia\u2019s war against Ukraine, he is hardly in a position to end or significantly reduce it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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