Kathrine Frich
Aleksandr Lukashenko has long positioned himself as a survivor in global politics.
He is Europe’s longest-serving leader and has often leaned into blunt language to signal defiance toward Western pressure.
That style resurfaced again during a recent interview, as tensions between Washington and Caracas continued to rise and speculation swirled around Venezuela’s political future.
An open offer
In an interview with the US media outlet Newsmax, Lukashenko said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro would be welcome in Belarus if he ever chose to leave office. The remarks were reported by TVP World.
Lukashenko stressed that no such discussions had taken place with Caracas. He described the relationship between Belarus and Venezuela as longstanding and friendly.
“Maduro has never been an enemy or an adversary for us. If he wanted to come to Belarus, the doors would have been open for him,” Lukashenko said, according to an excerpt published on the Telegram channel Pul Pervogo, which is linked to the Belarusian presidential administration.
‘A tough guy’
Lukashenko rejected the idea that Maduro would seek refuge abroad, portraying the Venezuelan leader as resilient.
“But, to be honest, this has never been discussed. Nicolas Maduro is not the kind of person who leaves or runs away. He is a tough guy,” he said.
The Belarusian leader is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has repeatedly criticised Western policies toward countries under sanctions.
Warnings of war
His comments came amid heightened friction between the United States and Venezuela.
The US has increased its military presence in the southern Caribbean, conducted strikes against suspected drug-trafficking vessels and warned that ground operations could be possible.
Venezuela has accused Washington of pursuing regime change to gain control of its oil reserves.
Lukashenko said he would welcome talks with US President Donald Trump on Venezuela and other issues.
“I am absolutely convinced that all the problems, all the desires of the United States of America can be resolved today in a peaceful way,” he said.
“I think in the near future we will be able to discuss this issue with Donald Trump. I would tell him many interesting things. A war would lead to nothing.”
Drugs and sanctions
Lukashenko warned that a conflict with Venezuela would resemble “a second Vietnam” and argued that war would only strengthen domestic support for Maduro.
He described the Venezuelan leader as “a decent, reasonable man with whom one can reach an agreement” and questioned US claims about drug flows from Venezuela.
Belarus, he said, had worked to curb drug trafficking into Western Europe but no longer wanted to do so if sanctions remained in place.
“They’re strangling me and I’m supposed to protect them from drugs?” he said. “The same applies to you – you should not strangle Venezuela. You should find a compromise.”
Sources: Newsmax, TVP World, Pul Pervogo, Digi24
