OREANDA-NEWS  President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko called French leader Emmanuel Macron an aksakal in the European Union (EU) and urged them to start moving. He is quoted by BelTA.

As the Belarusian politician said during a press conference at the summit of the Eurasian Economic Union in Astana, he suggested that his French counterpart call Russian President Vladimir Putin and come to Minsk or Moscow for talks. Macron replied that he needed to consult with the European Union. In response, Lukashenko stressed that it was the French president who should be the engine of the process in this case.

"I say, wait, you're an aksakal, you've been in power for so many years! Who's there? [German Chancellor Friedrich] Merz is a very young politician. [British Prime Minister Keir] Starmer is also very young. Who's going to talk? They're all young. In Italy, the prime minister is generally a woman. Do you want to assign these responsibilities to a woman? You're an aksakal, start moving. You are the main actor and the engine of this in Europe today," Lukashenko said.

The two heads of state had a telephone conversation on May 24. The initiator was the French side. The Belarusian leader revealed the details of the conversation.