01 March 2026, 23:48

US military analyst: Lukashenko has an innate sense of what’s best for Belarus

Scott Ritter [Screengrab/Belarus 1 TV channel]

MINSK, 1 March (BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko is more than a leader, he is a figure in whom many place their hopes, and as a politician, he possesses an instinctive understanding of what is best for his nation, military analyst and former US intelligence officer Scott Ritter said on the air of the Belarus 1 television channel, BelTA reports.

The analyst pointed out that the first peace talks on Ukraine were hosted by Belarus. “Yes, three rounds were held in Gomel, with Lukashenko at the helm. I must admit that he’s extraordinary. When I use the word ‘character’, it’s a compliment; I mean he’s larger than life. Calling him simply an amazing person doesn’t do justice. He’s someone in whom people have placed their hopes,” he noted.

At the same time, Scott Ritter remarked that the president of Belarus is presented to the Western public as a tough and authoritarian leader. “He’s been portrayed as a dictator, someone who won’t let go of power, an obstacle to democracy and all that. I might have entertained that line of thinking if I believed we were genuinely committed to democracy. But we are not. Our own experience proves that; look at what we did to Russia after the Soviet Union collapsed. We wield democracy as a weapon of destruction, not as a means to promote true democratic values. So when I set aside that narrative and view Lukashenko objectively, it becomes clear: he genuinely cares about Belarus. That is a real concern for him. He’s also a very smart man, very savvy. He knows his country better than anybody. And he has an innate sense of what’s best for Belarus. So as an American, why should this bother me? If his actions serve the interests of Belarus and its people, and they appear content with it, then what right do we have to intervene? It is simply not our business,” the former intelligence officer said.

Scott Ritter noted that in the future, the Belarusian people should be able to choose their leader without Western influence. “Based on the needs of Belarus, not under the influence of Westerners pretending to be your friends and trying to impose democracy, when in reality we’re just trying to poison your society to control it,” the analyst emphasized.

He emphasized his respect for the president of Belarus. “He’s a strong man,” Scott Ritter said.