{"id":144984,"date":"2025-07-02T15:10:03","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T12:10:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/144984\/"},"modified":"2026-04-15T13:35:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T13:35:32","slug":"lukasenka-criticizes-trump-over-iran-strikes-defends-pardons-for-political-prisoners","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/144984\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0141uka\u0161enka criticizes Trump over Iran strikes, defends pardons for political prisoners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka on July 1 expressed indignation at Israeli-U.S. air strikes on Iran, directing muted criticism at US President Donald Trump, whom he had praised during and after the 2024 US presidential election.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Speaking at an Independence Day rally in Minsk, he said, \u201cYou see, it [Israel] would never have bombed it if a superpower was not behind it. And you know who was behind it. This president\u2019s [a reference to US President Donald Trump] confusing and incoherent statements are simply ridiculous. By the way, I told it straight to the Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sympathy for dictators<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Belarusian ruler said that the Iran strikes reminded him of how the United States allegedly used a test tube containing a hazardous chemical as a pretext to invade Iraq.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey found a similar test tube in Iran, [claiming] it will have nuclear weapons tomorrow, so let\u2019s strike. Let\u2019s think: who gave the right, who authorized it? Why should a country that possesses nuclear weapons bomb another country that may be trying to make them for protection? What right does it have to bomb?\u201d he questioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka has consistently backed authoritarian leaders. He was openly upset when Saddam Hussein was toppled in Iraq and has long supported the regime of Ali Khamenei.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He appeared to acknowledge that Tehran planned to develop nuclear weapons. Khamenei has repeatedly called for the annihilation of Israel, referring to it as \u201ccancer.\u201d Unsurprisingly, Israel is deeply concerned about Iran\u2019s suspected nuclear weapons program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A poke at Trump<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou see, it [Israel] would never have bombed it if a superpower was not behind it. And you know who was behind it. This president\u2019s [a reference to US President Donald Trump] confusing and incoherent statements are simply ridiculous. By the way, I told it straight to the Americans,\u201d \u0141uka\u0161enka said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn the one hand, Trump is a peacemaker: \u2018People are dying. I want to stop the war in Ukraine!\u2019 Then he orders an absolutely illegal strike on Iran,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also recalled Trump\u2019s controversial idea that the U.S. should take over Gaza and turn it into what the US president called the Riviera of the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe world has not yet recovered from the horrendous footage of the Israeli-Palestinian bloodbath, where they want to create some resort on people\u2019s bones, think about it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Cichano\u016dski\u2019s release<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka pushed back against any suggestion that he had yielded to US pressure, stressing that it was his own decision to free opposition politician Siarhiej Cichano\u016dski.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Americans did not even ask for it,\u201d he said, referring to Keith Kellogg, the U.S. president\u2019s special envoy on Ukraine, who visited Minsk on June 21. \u201cThey consider him a pro-Russian guy. He will find it hard to prove the opposite. Meanwhile, we keep silent. You understand, we have enough facts [to prove it].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, \u0141uka\u0161enka effectively admitted that a \u201cpro-Russian guy\u201d is a bad guy, even as he frequently expresses admiration for Russia himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On June 21, he pardoned prominent opposition politician Siarhiej Cichano\u016dski along with 13 other prisoners after meeting with Kellogg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka defends pardons, denies existence of political prisoners<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Belarusian leader defended the pardons of political prisoners while denying that their prosecutions were politically motivated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He acknowledged that not everyone in his inner circle supported his decisions, with some unnamed officials suggesting that such prisoners should be held \u201cuntil they die.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs it our goal for them to die there? God forbid, of course,\u201d he said, noting that he would ultimately bear the responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat is why we treat them normally. Prison is not a resort, but abuse is unacceptable. These are bad people, beasts and criminals, but I believe that they are humans, and I am always looking for a way so that it won\u2019t be worse for us and good for them. Look, I can already see it. In a few days, maybe a week or a month. . . I won\u2019t talk about it publicly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf they all drop dead there, it would not be easy for us and we would be accused of [killing]\u2026 we need to calm down and think about the future, our goals and our state,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also claimed that he had instructed Kellogg not to use the term \u201cpolitical prisoners,\u201d and that the American envoy complied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI noted again that if you keep talking of \u2018political prisoners,\u2019 we will halt the conversation. Especially after the Middle East, where you destroyed, bombed and killed people, children. Tens of thousands. Wiped those poor people from the face of the earth. What political prisoners? What have we done wrong? They [the Americans] agreed. They said it [\u2018political prisoners\u2019] just once, did not say it again.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kellogg and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Smith, who also attended the meeting, are unlikely to agree with \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s version of events but are unlikely to publicly contradict him. For the US, the priority is the ongoing release of political detainees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka now faces growing discontent among his subordinates over the pardons but continues to defend his decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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