Lukashenko and Putin Joke Over Who Is the Bigger Dictator

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko disclosed during a recent address to young leaders in Minsk that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin frequently engage in jestful debates regarding who qualifies as the ultimate dictator.

These remarks, delivered at the “Youth. Belarus. Future.” forum on September 17, also underscore the close geopolitical alignment between Moscow and Minsk, highlighting Lukashenko’s status as Europe’s longest-serving head of state.

Lukashenko has governed Belarus without interruption since 1994, while Putin has led Russia since 2012, having previously served as president from 2000 to 2008.

“You know what they say about me?” Lukashenko inquired of the audience during his September 17 address, as reported by Novaya Gazeta.

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during the Eurasian Economic Union summit in Saint Petersburg on Dec. 21, 2025. (Contributor/Getty)

“[I am] the last dictator, the second-to-last dictator in Europe. Dictator, dictator. Vladimir Putin and I often joke and argue over which of us is more of a dictator,” he stated.

He further elaborated, “They say I am the last dictator in Europe. Dictator — so be it. Well, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and I often argue, jestingly, about which of us is the bigger dictator.”

The 72-year-old former Soviet collective farm manager is also recognized as Putin’s closest international partner and ally.

Although Minsk has not deployed ground troops to the war in Ukraine, it serves as a strategic staging ground for Moscow, with Russia relying on Belarus for crucial military and strategic support in its ongoing conflict against Ukraine.

According to the Kyiv Post, Belarus specifically provides Russia with essential weapons components and permits its forces to launch military strikes from Belarusian territory.

An August report by Ukrainska Pravda also highlighted the construction of a new railway in Belarus’s Gomel Oblast near the Ukrainian border, specifically designed to handle military trains.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (R) and Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko (L) arrive for their meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow on August 29, 2026. (Anastasia Barashkova / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

The strength of the relationship between the two nations emerges as Western officials intensify pressure on Moscow and its allies, with the two leaders reportedly maintaining frequent contact.

Following a meeting in Moscow on August 27, Lukashenko officially congratulated Putin on September 21 after the Russian election results were announced.

He praised the “unprecedented turnout of millions of voters” and the majority secured by the United Russia party, characterizing it as a proper response to “cynical attempts from the outside to discredit the campaign and sow discord.”

Addressing the youth forum in Minsk regarding political succession in Belarus, Lukashenko insisted that no one is currently prepared to assume power.

“Never believe those who say that Lukashenko is ‘clinging to power with blue-knuckled hands,'” he told the audience.

“Good Lord, let them say it. I have had my fill of this power to the point where I could not possibly want any more of it,” he remarked.

“The only question is whether you are capable today of taking over the country and holding on to it,” he added. “If you are, start tomorrow. To be frank, I cannot yet answer that question positively. Do not take offense.”

“I became a dictator then because I stood up against the entire ‘civilized world’,” he claimed.

Western nations maintain strict economic pressure on Minsk. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys recently reiterated the Baltic nation’s firm stance:

“We do not see any reasons why our position on Belarus should soften as Belarus is not changing its behaviour,” Budrys stated.

“On our side, we have to be very exact and continue what works, and that is the pressure on the regime,” he added.

Despite international sanctions, Lukashenko announced on September 11 that Belarus has begun selling potash, a primary fertilizer export, to the United States.

While Western nations maintain economic restrictions over human rights abuses, U.S. sanctions on Belarusian potash were lifted following recent political prisoner releases, though European Union sanctions remain active.

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