President Donald Trump’s interventions are helping to keep the Russia–Ukraine war from descending into global conflict, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said, as representatives from Kyiv and Moscow prepare to meet for talks mediated by the United States.
“Trump is essentially keeping the world, for now, from World War III, which could erupt as a nuclear conflict,” Lukashenko said during his address at the 4th Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security on Nov. 3, according to the Belarusian state news agency BelTA.
He added that such a conflict would not spare any nation, even if it were on the other side of an ocean, suggesting it was of global interest for tensions to ease in his region.
Lukashenko also said that Trump should get the Nobel Peace Prize “even just for keeping Europeans from triggering a nuclear conflict.”
“Even without realizing it, he is truly restraining Mother Europe from World War III, which could ultimately end in a nuclear catastrophe,” he said.
The Belarusian president made the remarks after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff announced that the United States will mediate working-level negotiations between Russia and Ukraine on Nov. 10–Nov. 11 in Abu Dhabi.
Minsk is a close ally of Moscow, and Lukashenko allowed Russian President Vladimir Putin to use the country as a launchpad to invade Ukraine in 2022, later agreeing to let Russia station tactical nuclear missiles on its territory.
Despite the close ties between Russia and Belarus, Lukashenko has said that Belarus was not looking to join the conflict, urging a peaceful resolution to the war.
On Tuesday, the Belarusian president said that pulling his country into the conflict would be a “terrible escalation, very dangerous and very unprofitable for us.”
He went on to say that Minsk was ready to help end the war, offering to host negotiations to try to bring a peaceful resolution.
Talks in Abu Dhabi
Witkoff said on Monday that the three-way talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States in Abu Dhabi next week would focus on de-escalation and the next steps towards peace, as well as humanitarian efforts and post-war security arrangements.
“We look forward to building on the progress made in Kyiv, Oslo, and St. Petersburg toward a comprehensive, durable peace agreement that delivers lasting security for generations to come,” the U.S. envoy said in a post on X.
He added that U.S. negotiators will meet this week in Brussels with representatives from France, Germany, the UK, the European Union, and NATO, to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine and economic opportunities to support the country’s post-war reconstruction, as well as Europe’s security architecture.
Commenting on Witkoff’s announcement that the United States will mediate these negotiations, Putin aide Kirill Dmitriev said in a Nov. 3 post on X that “the world appreciates the peacemaking efforts of President Trump and his team.”
The White House said in a Nov. 3 statement that First Lady Melania Trump will host representatives of Russia and Ukraine on Nov. 5.
This follows her efforts to successfully secure a limited ceasefire in Oleshky and the surrounding Kherson region.
“This achievement marks an unprecedented diplomatic initiative by an American first lady,” the statement said.
Melania Trump will deliver remarks on the ceasefire on Thursday at the White House.
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