Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said that Russia’s war against Ukraine could end in the coming months, while also suggesting that the conflict could grow into a wider global confrontation. His remarks were reported by Belarusian and Russian state-aligned media following his speech at the Fourth Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security.

“There is no strength left and no resources left. Everyone is tired of the war. Even Europe has begun to understand where this escalation came from,” he said.

According to Lukashenko, “if the conflict in Ukraine is not stopped, the world could move toward a Third World War.” He also praised US President Donald Trump, saying that Trump was “doing important work” by trying to prevent further escalation.

Lukashenko stated that although Trump’s policies “divide the world and draw justified criticism,” he is nevertheless helping to prevent a global war. He claimed that the US president had prevented European countries from triggering a nuclear confrontation and said Trump should therefore receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Belarusian leader also addressed the possibility of Belarus being drawn into the war in Ukraine, saying that Minsk is doing everything it can to avoid direct involvement. At the same time, he acknowledged that the war is already affecting Belarusian territory. Lukashenko further claimed that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is aware of alleged efforts to pull Belarus into the conflict and does not want that to happen.

Speaking about the situation in Europe, Lukashenko said that Western countries allegedly do not understand the scale of the possible military conflict for which they are preparing.

“The European Union’s attempts to approach everything from a position of force will not lead to anything good, and protests across Europe are proof of that,” media outlets quoted Lukashenko as saying.

Could the war in Ukraine really end soon?

The United States does not appear to believe that Ukraine and Russia are close to ending the war. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently expressed doubt that peace in Ukraine can be achieved through negotiations alone.

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War have also explained what they believe the Kremlin is seeking through peace talks. In their assessment, Russia is attempting to secure economic concessions from the United States and restore business ties while refusing to make meaningful compromises to end its war against Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has likewise made no secret of the possibility that the war may continue and could even intensify. Speaking about a diesel-related agreement with the United States, he described it as “strictly a business arrangement” rather than a solution to broader geopolitical disputes.