Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has said he is ready to strengthen ties with the United States as long as this action aligns with Belarus' interests.
The comments come amid intensifying dialogue between the Donald Trump administration and Minsk, a key ally of Russia during its all-out war against Ukraine.
"We will wait for their big proposals, for a big deal, as they like to say. They want these big deals," Lukashenko said at a government meeting on US-Belarus relations, according to the state-run Belta news agency, reports Telegraph.
"We are ready to make a big deal with them," he added.
Lukashenko did not specify the focus of the potential agreement, but expressed willingness to participate in US-led diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
The Belarusian leader also noted that both Minsk and Washington have their own questions and demands regarding mutual ties, adding that he sees US President Donald Trump's proposals as "absolutely normal."
"But our interests must also be taken into account," he added.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said he believes Belarus will have a certain role in the peaceful resolution of the Ukraine crisis.
"I believe that Belarus, as Russia's closest ally, has a certain role in resolving the Ukrainian crisis, as well as in building a regional security architecture. The Americans saw us in this process. We have concrete opportunities and potential," Lukashenko stressed at a meeting in Minsk on Tuesday.
"If the Americans want to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and see some small role for us there, we are ready to participate in this," Lukashenko was quoted as saying by his press service.
"We have declared our position: peace, peace and only peace. Ukraine must exist as an independent sovereign state. We want the war to stop now, otherwise this independent sovereign state will disappear," Lukashenko was quoted as saying.
According to him, the Russian leadership also aims to establish peace in Ukraine.
"No Tomahawk missiles will solve the issue. This will escalate the situation into a nuclear war. Perhaps, this is best understood by [US President] Donald Trump, who is in no hurry to hand over these deadly weapons and allow them to strike deep into Russia, as [Ukrainian] President Zelensky expects," Lukashenko further said.
In September, the US helped negotiate the release of 52 political prisoners of various nationalities being held in Belarus, while Washington agreed to lift sanctions on the Belarusian state airline, Belavia.
Trump's envoy, Keith Kellogg, later revealed that the goal of the renewed dialogue with Belarus is to "secure lines of communication" with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as part of a broader effort to end the war in Ukraine.
Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, allowed Russian forces to launch attacks on Ukraine from Belarusian territory at the start of a full-scale invasion in 2022.
As a result, Belarus has faced massive Western sanctions and diplomatic isolation. /Telegraph/
