Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has called for an immediate ceasefire and renewed security guarantees in Europe, declaring the region "closer than ever" to peace in Ukraine following a high-stakes U.S.-Russia summit that ended without resolution.
On August 15, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held face-to-face talks in Anchorage, Alaska. Despite the anticipation, the summit concluded without a breakthrough on the Ukraine crisis.
In an exclusive interview aired Friday by China Media Group (CMG), Lukashenko stressed the importance of the summit, praising Trump’s engagement with Russian concerns and urging an end to airstrikes.
"We are closer than ever to ending this conflict and achieving peace between Russia and Ukraine. President Trump has heard from one side, asked President Putin many questions and received his answers, and thus understood Russia's demands. I am certain that the situation will soon become clear. The future depends largely on Ukraine's understanding of the realities of the situation. What is needed now is time and calm, at least a ceasefire and a halt to the airstrikes," he said.
Lukashenko called for renewed dialogue among heads of state and a binding guarantee to prevent future escalation, highlighting the urgency of safeguarding European security.
"Security is indivisible, and European countries should uphold it as a common goal. All countries, including Belarus, Russia, as well as the United Kingdom and Germany, have a role to play in this security framework. Heads of state should gather to seriously discuss the current situation. The most crucial thing is to secure a guarantee and reach an agreement, as any violation of this agreement will prompt responses from all parties. Therefore, we must negotiate a new agreement now, and the future will depend on us -- on the political choices of all countries on the European continent and beyond," he said.
Lukashenko calls for ceasefire as Europe edges "closer than ever" to peace after Trump-Putin meeting
Demonstrators from civil groups, labor unions and other communities in South Africa rallied outside the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg on Friday, denouncing U.S. unilateral military actions against Venezuela and voicing solidarity with the Latin American nation.
They gathered along the street in front of the consulate, carrying banners that read "Hands Off Venezuela" and "Stop Imperialism," chanting slogans against U.S. hegemony and aggression.
"We are here to protest the U.S. threats to global peace, the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro Moros of Venezuela, which was done in violation of international law, in violation of territorial integrity of Venezuela, of course, in violation of national sovereignty of Venezuela," said Solly Afrika Mapaila, general secretary of the South African Communist Party.
In the early hours of Jan. 3, the United States carried out a military strike against Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, taking them to the United States.
Some protesters said the crisis in Venezuela shows how geopolitical struggles have direct and immediate effects on ordinary people's lives.
"Venezuela belongs to the people of Venezuela and nobody else. For American belligerent and colonial aggression, quite frankly, is not just something very distant. Never before have questions of geopolitics been of immediate and direct relevance and direct and immediate impacts on the day-to-day lives of ordinary people, as you are seeing today," said Mametlwe Sebei, president of the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (GIWUSA).
Placards at the rally blended English and Spanish slogans, while some demonstrators sang liberation songs from South Africa's anti-apartheid era to express solidarity. Passing motorists slowed in front of the consulate, honking in support.
Defying the summer heat, the crowd remained spirited and resolute, their chants echoing along the street in a clear call for an end to foreign interference and respect for Venezuela's sovereignty.
South Africans rally in solidarity with Venezuela against U.S. aggression
South Africans rally in solidarity with Venezuela against U.S. aggression
South Africans rally in solidarity with Venezuela against U.S. aggression
