Belarusian leader accuses Brussels of blocking grain exports to Africa and praises Trump's plan to bypass the bloc

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has accused the "stinky" European Union of deliberately obstructing Ukrainian grain exports and suggested that Minsk should take control of the transit routes to ensure deliveries reach developing countries.

In an interview with Time magazine published on Friday, Lukashenko claimed the EU was blocking efforts by the US and Russia to revive the Black Sea Grain Initiative and redirect shipments through overland routes.

"They [the EU] don't want that, those stinkers," Lukashenko said, alleging the bloc was "afraid the grain will end up on the [Western] European market."

Lukashenko insisted that sea routes through Ukraine remain unsafe due to naval mines near the port of Odessa and praised a proposal by US President Donald Trump to ship grain overland via Poland or Germany. However, he insisted that Belarus should oversee the process instead.

"On the contrary, it is necessary to involve Belarus in this process, so no grain is transported through the stinky EU," he said.

Lukashenko also claimed Minsk could provide "full control" over shipments, guaranteeing that grain intended for Africa would not be diverted to Western Europe.

The original grain deal, brokered in July 2022 by the UN and Trkiye, collapsed in 2023 after Moscow accused Western powers of failing to uphold their side of the agreement, particularly on Russian fertilizer and food exports.

Washington and Moscow have since held discussions about reviving the agreement under new terms, including rerouting shipments through alternative corridors.

In March, the EU rejected Russian demands to lift sanctions on the Russian Agricultural Bank, a key condition for Moscow's return to the deal. The Kremlin said the refusal demonstrated the bloc's unwillingness to help end the Ukraine conflict

Lukashenko, who has led Belarus since 1994, has positioned himself as a mediator and transit partner in ongoing regional negotiations.