At the 4th Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security on Tuesday, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko urged an end to the Russia-Ukraine war and warned that escalation could lead to a wider conflict.
BelTA, Belarus’ state news agency, reported that Lukashenko said the fighting must stop. He warned that further escalation could lead to a third world war. “We will inevitably end up in a third world war,” he said, adding that such a conflict could become nuclear.
Lukashenko also addressed U.S. President Donald Trump’s role. He said Trump’s policies polarize the world and draw justified criticism, but credited the president’s actions with “essentially keeping the world from a third world war,” according to BelTA.
The Belarusian leader said the war could end in the coming months, citing war fatigue, Anadolu Agency reported in an account that attributed the remarks to BelTA. He called for Minsk to host peace negotiations. He also compared the United Nations’ future to that of the League of Nations, which he said failed to prevent World War II.
His remarks put a warning about escalation alongside a call for negotiations in Minsk. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at an Oct. 31 press availability that the United States was prepared to help mediate an end to the war, but needed to communicate with both sides. Rubio cited the danger of escalation involving Russian nuclear weapons.
Rubio also said Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin might interact at the November Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. EconoTimes previously covered Rubio’s comments on mediation and the possible interaction.
