As ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine stall, US government sources report that a representative from President Donald Trump’s administration plans to travel to Belarus in the coming days to meet with Alexander Lukashenko, according to Reuters.
If the meeting takes place, US President Donald Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, would be the highest-ranking US official to visit the authoritarian country in recent years.
Two US government sources told Reuters that the agenda for the possible meeting was unclear. Still, Kellogg has privately said
the visit could be an opportunity to revive peace talks and help end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The US State Department and the Belarusian embassy in the US have not commented, and Kellogg and the White House have not responded to requests for comment on the plans. Planning such a visit requires careful deliberation and can be canceled at the last minute.
In 2020, then-US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Belarus at a time when relations between Minsk and Moscow were tense. It was the first high-level visit by a US official to Belarus in 20 years.
Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, steered clear of engaging with Belarus after the 2020 election, which was marred by widespread protests that were violently suppressed by the Lukashenko regime. In 2022, when it became clear that Belarus was supporting Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, the US closed its embassy in Minsk.
Now, as Trump works his second term in the White House, efforts are underway to restore relations with Belarus.
A US official told Reuters that the Trump administration has discussed plans to free Minsk from Moscow’s influence. In February 2025, US officials traveled to Belarus to retrieve three political prisoners.
Meanwhile, diplomats from other Western countries are skeptical of the US effort, as Belarus is too closely tied to Russia, both politically and economically.