Light at the end of the tunnel to appear in 2025, but Russia and Ukraine to conflict for years to come

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated that while the conflict in Ukraine might not conclude in 2025, a resolution to it was on the horizon. Lukashenko also mentioned that during 2022 negotiations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "acted as defiantly as he could."

Lukashenko: Russia and Ukraine Will Remain in Conflict for a Long Time

The Belarusian leader believes that a "certain resolution" to the conflict can be expected this year, though he emphasized that the underlying conflict itself will likely persist for an extended period.

"They'll probably keep conflicting for a long time. But there will be a resolution. A light at the end of the tunnel will appear this year," he said.

Lukashenko reiterated Belarus's commitment to peace in Ukraine, stressing that negotiations must "take everything into account," including Russia's position.

"There's no avoiding it. No America will ever force Russia. You can't push us around either. We have our own interests, and Russia's interests are even more significant," the Belarusian leader added.

Lukashenko Criticizes Zelensky's Behavior During Negotiations

During the 2022 negotiations held in Belarus, Zelensky "acted as defiantly as he could." According to Lukashenko, the Ukrainian delegation failed to adhere to agreed meeting times and arrived much later than scheduled. He also claimed that the Ukrainian side demanded a change in the venue for negotiations.

Lukashenko on Putin's Intentions in Ukraine

In October last year, Lukashenko gave an interview to the Izvestia newspaper, where he commented on Russia's special military operation in Ukraine. He stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin was not pursuing the conquest of Ukraine.

"When making any move, a smart, wise politician must think, 'And what comes next?' That's why, as Putin himself often says, the goal of conquest was never on the table," Lukashenko remarked.

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Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (born 30 August 1954) is a Belarusian politician who has been the first and to date, only president of Belarus since the office's establishment in 1994, making him the current longest-serving head of state in Europe. Before embarking on his political career, Lukashenko worked as the director of a state farm (sovkhoz) and served in both the Soviet Border Troops and the Soviet Army. In 1990, Lukashenko was elected to the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he assumed the position of head of the interim anti-corruption committee of the Supreme Council of Belarus. In 1994, he won the presidency in the country's inaugural presidential election after the adoption of a new constitution.