Lukashenko Invites Trump to Minsk as US Uses Belarus to Communicate on Ukraine
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has invited US President Donald Trump to visit Minsk. Meanwhile, the US has been using Belarus as a channel to communicate its stance on the Ukrainian conflict to Russia.
Lukashenko recently expressed his desire to discuss US-Russia relations, the Ukrainian conflict, and Belarus' position with Trump. The US, in turn, has established contact with Minsk to ensure its perspective on the Ukrainian issue reaches the Russian leadership. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio led the negotiations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, with Belarus acting as an intermediary. US special envoy Keith Kellogg announced this at a conference in Warsaw, stating that the US is 'not naive' about the Belarusian authorities. To facilitate this communication, the US participated in the process of releasing certain prisoners.
Lukashenko's invitation to Trump and the US's use of Belarus as a communication channel highlight the complex dynamics of their relationships. While the US is pragmatic about using Belarus to convey its messages to Russia, it remains cautious about the Belarusian authorities.
