Dec 16 (Reuters) – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview with U.S. media organization Newsmax on Monday that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was welcome to come to Belarus should he leave office, but that no such discussions had been held with Maduro.
Lukashenko is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Tensions are high between the U.S. and Venezuelan governments, with a large-scale U.S. military buildup in the southern Caribbean, U.S. strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats and comments from U.S. President Donald Trump that land operations may begin soon in Venezuela.
The Venezuelan government has said the U.S. is seeking regime change to take over the country’s vast oil reserves.
In his interview with Newsmax, Lukashenko said Belarus and Venezuela had longstanding relations and that Maduro was welcome to come to Minsk if he so wished.
“Maduro was never an enemy or an adversary for us. If he wanted to come to Belarus, the doors for him are open,” Lukashenko said in excerpts of the interview posted on the Pul Pervogo Telegram channel linked to the president’s administration.
“But let me tell you honestly, this has never been discussed. Maduro is not the sort of person who leaves or flees. He is one tough guy.”
Lukashenko said he would be pleased to discuss the issue of Venezuela – and other matters in talks with Trump.
SETTLING THINGS PEACEFULLY
“I am absolutely convinced that all issues, all the wishes of the United States of America can be resolved today in a peaceful manner,” Lukashenko said.
“I think that in the near future we will be able to discuss this matter with Donald Trump. I would tell him many interesting things. A war would lead to nothing.”
A war with Venezuela, Lukashenko said, would amount to “a second Vietnam. Do you need this? You don’t. So there is no need to wage war. You can come to an agreement.”
Lukashenko said that a conflict with Venezuela would only result in Venezuelans joining together in support of Maduro.
He described the Venezuelan as “a decent, reasonable man with whom you can come to an agreement” and he doubted Trump’s statements about a huge influx of drugs from Venezuela.
Belarus was leading the fight against drug trafficking from Asia into Western Europe, he said, but he was no longer willing to protect Europe if it tightened sanctions imposed over human rights issues and Minsk’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“They are strangling me and I am supposed to protect them from drugs?” he said.
“The same applies to you – you shouldn’t strangle Venezuela. You should find a compromise. I do not believe that such a volume of drugs entering the United States comes from Venezuela. I do not believe Trump on this issue … Maduro is not a drug addict. That I know for certain.”
(Reporting by Felix Light in Tbilisi; Writing by Ron Popeski; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
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