“Giorgia Meloni? No.” Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he urged French President Emmanuel Macron to take the lead in peace talks on Ukraine, arguing that the responsibility should not be left to a woman such as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Lukashenko relayed this account to journalists in Astana, describing a telephone conversation with the Elysee chief on May 24.

According to Lukashenko, the call also covered the war in Ukraine and the risks of Belarus becoming directly involved on Russia’s side. He said he invited Macron to meet with him and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Minsk to start direct discussions about the conflict.

Lukashenko added that he told Macron that, in his view, Macron is currently the principal and driving figure in Europe, while younger European leaders such as Britain’s Keir Starmer and Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz are not in a position to lead the process. Referring to the Italian government, he quoted himself asking Macron: “In Italy there is a woman prime minister. Do you really want to leave this burden to a woman?”