Full interview with Al Arabiya television channel

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko gave an interview to the Al Arabiya television channel on 12 June.

The interview lasted approximately an hour and a half. Aleksandr Lukashenko answered around two dozen questions, which touched upon, among other things, the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, the search for solutions to existing contradictions, and the prospects for a peaceful settlement. The President shared his views on the global changes currently underway in the world, spoke about contacts with the United States and European Union countries, and commented on the militarization of several European nations. The interview also addressed the development of cooperation with Saudi Arabia and other states in the Middle East.

The interview was conducted by Melinda Nucifora, an international news anchor and correspondent for Al Arabiya.

On global affairs

The head of state was asked whether he is more optimistic or pessimistic about the future trajectory of the current volatile world order, with its many conflicts.

"Fifty-fifty. The situation may be what it is for now, but I would rather be an optimist," Aleksandr Lukashenko said. "You, I, and all of us simply want to live a normal life, in a peaceful and beautiful country like Belarus. I believe the same goes for Australia [the interviewer, Melinda Nucifora, was born in Australia], the part where people actually live. And New Zealand, too. I've never been there, but it seems to me that New Zealand is very similar to Belarus."

"So we want to live in a peaceful world and in a beautiful country where one can work and have time to enjoy themselves," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

When asked whether there is hope for peace, both in the region where Belarus is located and in the Middle East where Al Arabiya primarily operates, Aleksandr Lukashenko said: "We have a very precise and true saying: hope dies last. So we do not lose that hope. And you observed very accurately that you and I live today in the world's most dangerous regions, places where wars are being fought. So sometimes, hope is all we have. The notion that there is always hope for peace is a timeless truth."

"We never stop hoping for peace, because history itself has pushed us in that direction. Unlike your homeland, we have always lived, and continue to live, in a cauldron simmering at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. The most devastating wars, clashes, and conflicts have taken place right here. We have often fought wars that were not our own, and yet they have always unfolded on our soil," the President remarked.

The question addressed to the head of state concerned global changes and the collapse of the previous world order based on certain rules. "Unfortunately, the world has not become safer," the Belarusian leader said. "For me, it is fifty-fifty: both caution and optimism."

"But one must by no means consider the situation a catastrophe," the President emphasized. "If you look at the world realistically, there is too much chatter, too much information warfare, which fortunately does not always and not everywhere escalate into a hot war. Therefore, no catastrophe."

On the forecasts for peace in Ukraine and the Middle East

Asked whether there is hope for peace in the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran, the head of state said: "The world is very unstable today because of the human factor. These wars were not given to us by God. We brought ourselves to this point. So we need to think about how to end them. As for whether these wars can be stopped, especially in our region (and in your region in the Middle East), we now have a greater opportunity than ever before to end them."

"Everything depends on the desire of just a few people. If that desire exists, these wars can certainly be ended this year. Even the conflict between Russia and Ukraine can be resolved this year."

Regarding the Middle East, Aleksandr Lukashenko believes there is no alternative but to end the conflict. "There is no option other than stopping the war. And it will be stopped this year. I hope even in the near future. First and foremost, the conflict between the United States and Iran, as it is commonly described. Although I do not consider it a war between Americans and Iranians. It is primarily a conflict between Israel and Iran, into which the United States has been drawn because of the short-sighted policies of certain U.S. leaders."

According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, current circumstances are pushing all parties toward ending the conflict. "I know the position of the President of the United States, whose role is crucial in ending this war. He is focused on bringing it to an end. Once again, I emphasize: there is no other way out and no other solution." He added that, unlike the conflict in Ukraine, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman is driven by different dynamics. "This is a more complex conflict than the one involving Iran. And that is the difference between this conflict in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman and the war in Ukraine. This conflict is more complex than the one in Iran," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The Belarusian President argued that objective conditions are compelling the U.S. administration to end military pressure on Iran. "And Israel will be fully dependent on the position of the United States. Therefore, I believe these conflicts can be ended this year. And I am not merely hoping for it, I am confident that they will be resolved," Aleksandr Lukashenko concluded.

In the interview the President also said that there is no military solution to the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

"There are many problems that must be resolved. And these problems can only be resolved at the negotiating table. There is no military solution to either conflict, neither in Ukraine nor in the Middle East," the Belarusian leader said.

"So it is time to come to one's senses, as I said, and think about the many innocent lives that will be lost [if hostilities continue]," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The head of state was asked about the actions the parties are taking to end the conflict, whether Iran should act faster to that effect. Including taking into account the accusations voiced by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said Iran protracts the peace talks and does not want to start this process.

"First of all, if we use your terminology, the United States of America should act faster. And Trump and other people, his advisors should talk less about it. Movement is necessary," the head of state said. "In this case a lot depends on the USA, not on Iran. Iran is objectively affected by all its allies. Primarily by Russia and China. They simply push Iran to sign the deal, as Trump says, in order to terminate this conflict by diplomatic means."

Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out that the conflict around Iran greatly affects the world economy and people's lives unlike the conflict in Ukraine.

"This is why Iran is not the problem. Iran simply sometimes responds to actions of the United States of America, which protracts this conflict first and foremost. Iranians act in a simple manner: if you act like that, then we will also act in the same manner," the President believes.

Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that this is just what is visible on the surface. "You and I don't see the depth because we do not participate in these negotiations. And there can be various trends under this 'cover'. And taking into account the fact that the USA says one thing in the morning and another thing in the evening, it is difficult to understand what is really going on," he remarked.

The head of state also said that the United States will not commit to a ground military operation in Iran.

"What's next? You cannot defeat Iran with missiles. It's a vast territory; you cannot defeat any country with missiles alone. Yes, you can inflict destruction, blow up infrastructure, tear things down but ultimately you will need a ground operation. The United States will never commit to a large-scale ground operation, not even a limited one, because that would result in thousands of American casualties. The USA would not survive that, especially given the current climate in the United States, which is turning against the ruling Republican Party," the Belarusian leader said.

He stressed that whenever you start something, it's important to think about what happens after. "Well, the United States struck Iran. And then what? Not a single problem, not a single issue they raised, not a single task that the Americans needed to solve in Iran has been resolved. Just the opposite. So you've got to think ahead if you invade another country," Aleksandr Lukashenko noted.

The President is convinced that objective circumstances and reasons push the parties to the conflict - the USA, Israel, and Iran - to end this conflict.

On the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz

In an interview with Al Arabiya Aleksandr Lukashenko addressed the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, linking it in part to Iran's desire to obtain compensation for the aggression it has suffered.

"What Iran wants is compensation for the aggression that has been committed against it. In that regard, we understand it as well. So Israel and the United States, which attacked Iran, need to consider how they will compensate for that damage," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

As for the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, the President does not believe the Iranians actually want to stop shipping there. "That is not in their interest. Because if the Strait of Hormuz remained blocked, the wealthy Gulf countries would find another route. They would eventually lay pipelines from north to south through Oman and refuel their tankers in the Indian Ocean. So that is not in Iran's interest," the Belarusian leader believes.

On whether the United States can pressure Israel into ceasing its aggression

The President was asked whether the United States, in its efforts to resolve the conflict with Iran, can pressure Israel into ceasing its aggression.

"It absolutely can. And certain recent events point in that direction," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

As an example, he cited the public disagreement between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which the American leader reportedly criticized his Israeli counterpart for the strikes on Lebanon.

"One of Iran's conditions had been a halt to strikes on Lebanon while negotiations were underway. But Israel, in its characteristic fashion, behaving as though no rules apply, pressed ahead with its attacks and kept hitting southern Lebanon and beyond. As a result, innocent people are losing their lives," the head of state remarked.

According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, Donald Trump's response to the situation yielded a measurable effect, laying bare Israel's dependence. "When Trump called out Netanyahu, he did succeed in pulling Israel back, which demonstrated Israel's complete dependence on the United States of America. Donald Trump said plainly that if Netanyahu did not listen to him, Israel would be left to fend for itself. That is what Israel fears most, because Israel is located relatively close to Iran, and Iran has every means to attack Israel. And if the Israelis do not have American missiles, their so-called dome [the Iron Dome air defense system] will be pierced, and the Jewish people on their land will face something they neither want nor expect," the President said.

The head of state noted that Israel's dependence had been clear even before this, as the country does not possess the enormous resources needed to wage war against Iran on its own. This is especially true given that Israel is surrounded by the Muslim world, although it is highly diverse and lacks internal unity.

In this regard, Aleksandr Lukashenko observed that any war can bring unforeseen consequences, steering events in a direction hardly imaginable in peacetime. "Therefore, Israel needs to exercise greater care and caution. They have already earned themselves such a reputation in the international community, by bombing Gaza, that it simply cannot get any worse. Many have even turned to history: 'What Holocaust are they talking about? What possible Holocaust, of which the Israelis speak, [could justify] the killing of so many people, above all women and children?' They have wiped everything off the face of the earth there. And now they speak of building some kind of resort on the bones of the dead. That is utter stupidity."

"So Israel, too, needs to come to its senses, and reflect on its own survival. If not, even nuclear weapons will be of no help to them," the head of state said.

On the United States and Israel's mistakes in their actions toward Iran

"Many mistakes have been made in Iran, if we delve deeper into this conflict. One of the mistakes of the United States and Israel is that they have united Iranian society, which was quite fragmented before. Iranian society was to some degree divided prior to this conflict. The Americans and Israelis helped bring that society together. From their perspective, that is a mistake; for Iran, it is a good thing," the head of state said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko further believes that even if Iran was pursuing nuclear weapons, the airstrikes will not halt that process. "If anything, they will only accelerate it. I am absolutely certain that the development of nuclear weapons in Iran, if it existed up to now, will continue," the President remarked.

In this regard, the head of state pointed to another mistake made primarily by the United States, which rejected Tehran's proposal to have nuclear materials (enriched uranium) shipped to China. "The Iranians proposed to ship the enriched nuclear materials they had produced for weapons to China. The Russians also offered to take them to Russia. Why did the Americans not agree to let Iran ship that enriched uranium to China? China is a nuclear country. It produces enriched nuclear fuel for nuclear weapons. No one forbids China from doing so. No one pressures China. So let them be shipped to China, where the materials could be kept under control," the President said.

According to Belarus' head of state, even if China had used Iran's nuclear materials to build more nuclear-tipped missiles for itself, it would have had no strategic impact whatsoever. "Would that give China some great advantage? Absolutely not. China does not possess as many nuclear warheads as Russia or the United States. It would just have a dozen missiles more," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

He cited Belarus as an example. Belarus possesses nuclear materials under the control of the IAEA. "We agreed to that some time ago. And the world has no complaints against us, even though we have this nuclear material. The same kind of control could have been arranged in China," the President said.

"But the Americans dug in their heels. I am convinced it was for political reasons: 'How come, to China?' China is the main rival of the USA. They should admit: it's the main rival, one that is developing faster than the United States. So why object? Iran should have been allowed to ship the materials there. Iran would never hand over its nuclear materials to the United States. That, too, is for fundamental political and diplomatic reasons. How could they hand over such materials to the aggressor? So they fixated, so to speak, on matters that were insignificant from a resolution standpoint. They should have been moving in that direction," the Belarusian leader said.

According to the President, the United States' military conflict with Iran is a fatal mistake.

"The USA made a fatal mistake. This should never have been done," the Belarusian leader emphasized.

When asked about whether the United States acted on its own volition or was pushed by an ally, Aleksandr Lukashenko said: "Israel dragged America into this war - that is a fact. A big fact or a small fact, I don't know. Time will tell. But Americans aren't the kind of country you can walk around on a short leash. That's a fact too. So there's no way anyone could have dragged America into this conflict like a helpless lamb if they hadn't wanted it themselves."

The President noted that the United States believed that they could solve any problem through military force. On top of that, Israel was provoking the USA. "The Israeli lobby in the United States is very powerful. We acknowledge that. Rich, powerful people, they have a sway. But you're the President. Your advisers, national security aides, the department of war or defense, or whatever you call it and the State Department. They should have also been thinking about what happens afterwards," the head of state said.

In this regard, Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized once again that it "would be ridiculous and wrong" to claim that Israel, barely noticeable on the political map of the world, could have dragged such an "elephant" and powerful state as the United States into a war. "The Americans, let's put it this way, wanted to be dragged into this war," the President shared his perspective on the situation.

On countries pushing toward a peaceful settlement in the Middle East

In the interview the President said that there are groups of countries pushing both Iran and the United States toward a peaceful settlement.

According to the head of state, objective circumstances are compelling the Americans to move toward a diplomatic solution to end the war. This is being encouraged, among others, by those countries in the region that host U.S. military bases. "Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, the Emirates, and so on. They all want to stop this confrontation and begin working on normalizing the relations. All of the countries I mentioned, perhaps one or two more, have told Trump: 'We don't want war there'," Aleksandr Lukashenko noted. "Not a single one of America's allied countries, if they can even be called that right now, has spoken out in favor of continuing the conflict in order to punish Iran. This is despite the fact that some nations, for example the Emirates, have had issues with Iran."

On the other side, there are countries that are pushing Iran toward reaching an agreement. "Iran is being nudged by major countries like China, Russia, and India. which bought huge amounts of hydrocarbon raw materials from Iran. They are nudging Iran. And also Pakistan that hosted the talks [between the United States and Iran]. They are gently pushing Iran, one might say in a friendly manner, to reach a deal," the President said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko also commented on Iran's strikes on U.S. bases located in several countries across the region: "Are they doing the right thing or not? From Iran's perspective, it is the right thing. There's a war going on. What else are they supposed to do? Iran is attacking the bases of the United States of America, the aggressor, as they see it, which attacked Iran. What's wrong with that? Nothing."

As for the drones that during these attacks sometimes fall in completely different locations, the President noted that this is an objective reality, one that Belarus also faces, given its proximity to the theater of military operations. It happens that UAVs deviate from their intended targets and flight paths, whether due to the influence of electronic warfare systems or other technical reasons. "We are also experiencing this now from Ukraine and Russia. They are fighting each other, but drones are flying into our territory. It's exactly the same there," the head of state said.

"So, yes, Israel and the USA are fighting on one side, and Iran on the other. These warring forces are being nudged from both sides by certain countries," Aleksandr Lukashenko concluded.

The President also agreed with the interviewer's view that the situation in the Middle East has been reshaped as a result of the conflict and continues to change. But, Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized another important thing: "Things will never return to what they were before this conflict there."

On the global nuclear disarmament

One of the questions put to Aleksandr Lukashenko suggested that if Israel and the USA attacked Iran on the pretext of stopping its nuclear program, other countries might be tempted to acquire nuclear weapons as a nuclear umbrella to protect themselves from similar strikes.

"Indeed, many countries talk about it, but it is a path to nowhere. It is a path toward annihilation. Because if you have a gun hanging on the wall, it stays there only for a time. But a gun is meant to be fired. So today we say that nuclear weapons are a deterrent. But for every country in the world to possess nuclear weapons is a path to nowhere. Sooner or later, a nuclear conflict could erupt, and the planet would be destroyed. So I am not in favor of nations having nuclear weapons," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

"I am in favor of nuclear disarmament. And that should apply to everyone. To Russia, to the United States of America, to China, to Israel, to India, to Pakistan, and to other nations as well. It must apply to all," the Belarusian leader said.

At the same time, the head of state believes that from the standpoint of fairness, Iran is fully entitled to assert its claim to nuclear weapons.

"What do you demand from Iran regarding nuclear weapons? If we approach the matter from the standpoint of fairness, does the United States of America possess nuclear weapons? Yes, it does. Okay, the United States is the pioneer of nuclear weapons and has held them for a long time. But Israel remains quiet about the fact that it has nuclear weapons. The Iranians could ask, 'Why can't we have nuclear weapons?' Especially when nearby India and Pakistan are nuclear powers. Why can't Iran have nuclear weapons?" the head of state asked.

"If nuclear weapons are a deterrent, a guarantee that no one will ever attack you, then Iran has the right, like other countries, to possess nuclear weapons for its own protection," Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked.