A meeting took place in Belarus between Alexander Lukashenko and the US President’s Special Representative for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg. This visit was reported by the Belarusian state agency “BelTA.”
This is reported by Kyiv24
Discussion of the Political Situation and Bilateral Relations
During the negotiations, the parties focused on the current political situation in the world, as well as the state of relations between Belarus and the United States. It is known that the meeting was accompanied by a video recording released by the Telegram channel “Pool of the First,” which is close to the Belarusian authorities, along with an announcement of upcoming “interesting news.”
As reported, the exact agenda of the meeting is unknown, although Kellogg referred to this trip in private conversations as a step that could help initiate peace talks aimed at ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.
History of Contacts Between the US and Belarus
In 2020, during Donald Trump’s first presidential term, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Belarus. At that time, it was the first visit by an American official of such a level to the country in the last two decades, marking an attempt to improve bilateral relations amid tensions between Minsk and Moscow.
After the 2020 presidential elections in Belarus, which international observers deemed undemocratic, large-scale protests erupted in the country, which were suppressed by the Belarusian authorities. Subsequently, the new US administration led by Joe Biden changed its approach to the Belarus issue.
In 2022, the US suspended the operations of its embassy in Belarus. At the same time, the Belarusian authorities supported the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, providing their military infrastructure and airspace for Russian troops and attacks on Ukrainian cities.