Lukashenka on Maduro's kidnapping: This is Trump's concession to the military for Afghanistan
Presenting «For Spiritual Revival» awards in Minsk, Alexander Lukashenka for the first time personally commented on the kidnapping of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro by American special forces and his delivery to trial in the USA.
Nicolas Maduro with Alexander Lukashenka at the BRICS summit in Kazan, 2024. Photo: Lukashenka's press service
Lukashenka called the Venezuelan people «friendly» and recalled his close relations with both Nicolas Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez. Based on this, he considers himself an expert on Venezuela and allegedly tried to convey his position to the Americans:
«The day before yesterday, I said that if you, Americans, want a second Vietnam, you will get it. No matter how the situation develops there, it seems to me they heard it. And the fact that they are now threatening Venezuela with some ground operation, I think they perfectly understand that this operation will not end in their favor. Thousands will die already. And Americans. I think neither Donald nor others want this.»
He sees the reason why the Americans still kidnapped Maduro as Trump's need to throw a bone to his security forces, who were allegedly humiliated before:
«You must clearly understand: America is a very complex country. It's not like ours, even in Russia and other countries. I think this is most likely a concession from Donald Trump to the military. Remember how they fled Afghanistan, clinging to the landing gear of planes, falling on the runway? A disgrace! Well, they had to show that they are capable of something.»
«I want you to understand: everything was there. Both an agreement and money that was paid, including to people in Venezuela. Both military and civilian. There was a conspiracy, and there was betrayal. Everything was there,» Lukashenka emphasized.
In his opinion, Trump could have achieved his goals in Venezuela without such a humiliating operation for it:
«I am only grateful to Donald for openly saying: 'Oil, we need oil!' I say this with pain about being involved to some extent in this situation at the very beginning. And I informed the Americans that Venezuelans are ready to cooperate with you. There's no need to do these stupid things from which it will be very difficult to get out. […] Everything the Americans want could have been done without a seizure,» he asserts.
Lukashenka assesses yesterday's seizure of the Russian tanker as merely a «spectacle»:
«I always told them, but also warned my older brother, and just on the eve of this disgusting event: let there not be just a spectacle from the Americans and the entire West, let them not play us again. And today I am absolutely convinced that this is the case. Why seize a completely empty Russian tanker under the Russian flag recently? Why was this necessary if you want peace in Ukraine?»
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