US eyes renewed engagement with Belarus as peace efforts in Ukraine stall

A senior official from the Trump administration is reportedly planning a visit to Belarus in the coming days to meet with President Alexander Lukashenko, according to four sources familiar with the matter, quoted by Reuters.

This move comes as ceasefire negotiations between Ukraine and Russia remain stalled. If Keith Kellogg, the U.S. envoy for Ukraine, follows through with the meeting, he would become the highest-ranking American official to visit the authoritarian nation in several years.

The exact purpose of Kellogg’s trip has not been publicly disclosed. However, two sources close to the matter said Kellogg views the visit as a potential catalyst to revive peace talks aimed at ending Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. 

Given the sensitive nature of such diplomatic missions, plans could still be altered or cancelled at the last moment.

This would not be the first high-level U.S. visit to Belarus in recent history. In 2020, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo travelled to Belarus — the highest-level American visit in over two decades — during the first Trump administration. That visit was part of an effort to improve relations with Belarus at a time when Minsk’s ties with Moscow were strained.

Earlier this year, in February, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Smith and other officials visited Belarus to secure the release of three political prisoners. Smith privately described the trip as a potential first step toward a broader deal that could see the release of many political prisoners in exchange for a relaxation of U.S. sanctions.

Another senior U.S. official pointed to Belarus’ release of Youras Ziankovich, a 47-year-old naturalised American citizen, on April 30 as a sign that Lukashenko might be seeking to improve ties with Washington.

By Tamilla Hasanova