An Unexpected Supporter: Alexander Lukashenko Backs Our House’s Demands for a New START Treaty

As you may know, on 5 February 2026, the New START Treaty between Russia and the United States expired.

Since then, around the 5th day of every month, Our House has been holding protest actions in Vilnius with one simple demand: resume negotiations on nuclear arms control, begin work on a new START agreement, halt the world’s—and our region’s—continued slide toward a new nuclear arms race, and remove Russian nuclear weapons from Belarus.

Unfortunately, today we remain the only Belarusian organization publicly calling for nuclear deterrence, arms control, and nuclear disarmament.

The reactions to our anti-nuclear protests have varied. But yesterday, it became clear that our campaign for a new START treaty has gained an admirer we least expected.

As is well known, in Belarus today, even liking or commenting on content published by Our House can result in a prison sentence of two to three years. There have been more than enough such cases. Our House itself has long been declared an enemy of the state, and any public support for our work inside Belarus exposes people—and often their family members—to serious risks and pressure.

That is why we were somewhat surprised when, on 16 June 2026, Alexander Lukashenko suddenly woke up and declared:

“I have always supported nuclear deterrence.”

Apparently, Alexander Lukashenko has been following our monthly protests in Vilnius quite closely.

For the activists of Our House, it is particularly interesting to hear such statements from the very person who agreed to the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory. For years, Lukashenko publicly lamented Belarus’s decision to give up its nuclear arsenal in the 1990s and openly celebrated when nuclear weapons returned to the country under Russian control.

Nevertheless, the fact remains: for the first time, our demands for nuclear deterrence, arms control, and renewed negotiations on a new START treaty have unexpectedly found support from Alexander Lukashenko.

Why Lukashenko has suddenly developed anti-nuclear sentiments—and what may be behind them—remains unclear.

Taking this opportunity, we would therefore like to invite him to join our next protest action at Kudirka Square in Vilnius. There will always be room for one more participant in the picket line. We would even be happy to provide him with a placard reading:

“We Need a New START.”

Because the withdrawal of nuclear weapons from our region, the restoration of dialogue between nuclear powers, and the prevention of a new arms race are far too important to be left solely to diplomats and generals.

Statement by Alexander Lukashenko, 16 June 2026:

“I Have Always Supported Nuclear Deterrence”

We remain, of course, somewhat skeptical.

But we will continue to watch developments closely—and to hold our monthly actions.