REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVE FROM WHERE NOBODY EXPECTED: LUKASHENKO TELLS TRUMP IT IS NOT HIS DECISION
Well, this was not on anyone’s diplomatic bingo card.
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has rejected Donald Trump’s attempt to dictate who should lead Ukraine, saying that decision belongs exclusively to the Ukrainian people.
“This is not Trump’s decision,” Lukashenko said. “The Ukrainian people will decide who becomes president of Ukraine.”
Lukashenko still argued that Ukraine should eventually hold an election and criticized President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for remaining beyond the term he originally expected to serve. But he drew a clear line between supporting elections and allowing a foreign president to choose Ukraine’s leadership.
“There is no need for diktat,” he said. “Trump should not dictate what Ukraine has to do.”
This does not suddenly make Lukashenko an ally of Ukraine. Belarus allowed Russia to use its territory during the invasion and remains deeply tied to Moscow. His wider comments also suggested that Trump believes he can dictate terms because Ukraine depends on American intelligence and weapons.
Nevertheless, the central statement is unmistakable—and remarkably close to what Zelenskyy and European leaders have been saying: Ukraine’s president will be chosen by Ukrainians, not selected in Washington or approved in Moscow.
Lukashenko has had an interesting few days. When even one of Putin’s closest partners believes Trump has crossed the line, Washington may want to consider just how isolated its position has become.