Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday that US President Donald Trump should not dictate Ukraine’s political future, declaring that only the Ukrainian people can decide who leads their country. The Lukashenko Trump Ukraine remarks were made as the Belarusian leader answered journalists’ questions about the war and the future of Ukraine’s leadership.
Lukashenko was responding to Trump’s recent calls for a leadership change in Ukraine. On October 10, Trump told reporters it was “time for Ukraine to get a new president,” accusing President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of prolonging the war that Russia started in February 2022 and of driving up global energy prices.
FAKTA: Key facts
- Who said it: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, speaking to journalists on Friday, October 16
- Core message: Donald Trump should not dictate Ukraine’s leadership; the decision belongs to Ukrainian citizens
- Background: Trump called on October 10 for a new Ukrainian president, saying Zelenskyy had missed chances to end the war
- Zelenskyy response: on ABC News, he said choosing a leader is “up to our people,” offering elections if Russia agrees to a 60-day ceasefire
- Peace prediction: Lukashenko said a settlement could arrive this year or next, warning delays may harden Ukraine’s position
Lukashenko Trump Ukraine: rejection of outside pressure
Lukashenko referred to Zelenskyy’s earlier pledge to serve only one presidential term, saying political promises should be honoured — but rejected the idea of a foreign leader forcing the issue. Decisions about Ukraine’s president belong to its citizens, not to the US president, he said.
His comments echoed Zelenskyy’s own pushback. In the ABC News interview on October 11, the Ukrainian president said with respect to Trump that it is “up to our society, up to our people to choose one or another leader.” Zelenskyy added that if Washington wanted elections — Ukraine’s first since Russia’s 2022 invasion — Russia should grant a 60-day total ceasefire so a vote could be organised.
A prediction of peace — with a warning
Lukashenko also offered a forecast for the conflict, saying peace could come this year or next. He argued both Moscow and Kyiv have reasons to end the war because of its serious consequences for their countries. As a close ally of Moscow, he acknowledged that Russia holds greater military and economic resources and could keep fighting for a long time — but he noted the conflict was placing a heavy burden on the Russian economy, and said Russian leaders understand those costs and are ready for peace.
At the same time, the Belarusian president warned that delay could make a settlement harder for Ukraine. If Kyiv failed to pursue peace this year, the situation might become more difficult next year — and a peaceful solution could eventually become impossible, he said.
The remarks add another voice to a strained Washington-Kyiv dispute. Trump has in recent weeks complained about Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, linking them to soaring diesel prices ahead of the November US midterm elections. Follow this developing story on Watan News International.
