The Council and the Union: Belarus and the USA to discuss the Ukrainian issue in Minsk
Minsk is involved in the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. Deputies of Belarus will discuss this topic with representatives of the United States in the fall, LDPB leader and member of Parliament Oleg Gaidukevich told Izvestia. Belarus remains a key mediator in humanitarian exchanges between Russia and Ukraine. At the same time, contacts between representatives of Minsk and Washington can serve as another channel of communication with the United States in the context of a slowdown in the dynamics of negotiations in the format of the Russian Federation, the United States and Ukraine, the expert community believes. And during the pause in contacts, the role of Belarus may increase.
Representatives of Belarus and the United States will meet in the fall
Belarus and the United States are developing contacts at various levels, including parliamentary and party levels. In early October 2026, Minsk will host the third congress of patriotic forces for Peace and Development, to which representatives of the United States, including from the Republican and Democratic parties, have been invited. This was reported to Izvestia by the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus (LDPB), a member of the Parliament of the republic Oleg Gaidukevich. According to him, one of the important topics will be the issue of the Ukrainian settlement.
— Naturally, there will be a dialogue, which is normal. In the fall, we will hold a congress of the patriotic forces of Europe, where representatives of the United States will be present. Such work is underway, and there must be a dialogue," he said. — I think that even if we bring peace closer by 1%, it's a good thing. It is necessary to communicate in all situations.
The table where the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations took place, 2022
Belarus was a platform for the Ukrainian settlement both in 2014-2015 (the Minsk agreements were signed) and after the start of the conflict in 2022. The first negotiations between Russia and Ukraine took place in Minsk, and only then they were moved to Turkey.
— Everyone is interested in dialogue with Belarus, including the United States. This dialogue can go on in different ways - slower or faster, but it goes on. However, I would like to emphasize that Belarus conducts it solely in its national interests. And how many times has our President [Alexander Lukashenko] said: We will never engage in dialogue against our allies — this is sacred. This applies not only to Russia, but also to China and other countries," Oleg Gaidukevich said.
Members of the Republican and Democratic parties of the USA have already visited Minsk. For example, American representatives held a meeting with deputies of the Belarusian parliament in July 2025. At the same time, at the end of March 2026, the first full-fledged mission of deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation to the United States took place in 12 years. The delegation held two days of talks in Washington, meeting with members of Congress to discuss bilateral relations and peace issues. The visit of Russian colleagues was also monitored in Minsk.
"The dialogue with the United States is going on both through the parliament and through our other government agencies,— Gaidukevich said.
Full-fledged contacts between the United States and Belarus resumed after Donald Trump returned to the White House. The central issues were the lifting of sanctions, the restoration of the American embassy in Minsk, and the establishment of direct flights. At the same time, the topic of Ukraine also plays an important role. According to media reports, at first there were informal contacts between the two countries, followed by non-public visits by American delegations to Minsk.
In December, The Wall Street Journal published an article claiming that the unofficial communication channel between the United States and Alexander Lukashenko had become an integral part of negotiations aimed at ending the Ukrainian conflict. For his part, the leader of Belarus began to give the United States advice on how to behave with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and promoted the holding of a summit between the United States and Russia in Alaska.
— Your president has a long history of relations with President Putin, has the opportunity to give him advice. This is very useful in this situation," said John Cole, the US Special Envoy for Belarus.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko during talks at the Palace of Independence
Alexander Lukashenko previously admitted that he likes Donald Trump's approach, as he shows the true policies and goals of the American leadership. John Cole said that a personal meeting between the two leaders could take place soon. The US president, in turn, noted in late March that he was looking forward to meeting with his Belarusian counterpart at the next meeting of the "Peace Council" on Gas.
The role of Belarus in the Ukrainian settlement
Despite the fact that the main political rounds of negotiations have shifted to other countries, in particular to Turkey, the UAE and Switzerland, Belarus has retained the role of a technical intermediary. Prisoner exchanges, body exchanges, and operational humanitarian issues continue to be conducted through its territory.
— Belarus fulfills its extremely important mission in the field of exchange. The key point is, firstly, the Belarusian border and ensuring security, which is an important factor when such procedures are carried out. This is the provision of medical care. When we exchange our military, they arrive in a condition where they need emergency treatment. And, accordingly, organizational support includes transport, logistics, and border crossing," Rodion Miroshnik, the Russian Foreign Ministry's ambassador—at—large for crimes of the Kiev regime, said in a conversation with Izvestia.
Border guards at the border of Belarus and Ukraine
So, in early March, Russia returned 300 of its military from Ukrainian captivity, in return for handing over 300 Ukrainian prisoners. The Russian fighters were first taken to Belarus, where they received psychological and medical assistance. Earlier, Lukashenko said that there are "windows" on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border through which cooperation with Kiev on the exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and the Russian Federation is underway. During the last Easter truce, the parties exchanged according to the "175 for 175" formula, and seven residents of the Kursk region also returned home.
In November 2025, Lukashenko stated that the republic was ready to host both sides of the conflict again for a peaceful settlement. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also stressed that Belarus and Turkey are the two countries best suited to mediate the negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian sides. However, Kiev is actively opposed to this.
With the outbreak of the war between the United States and Israel against Iran, negotiations in the Russia–USA–Ukraine trilateral format have been on pause. Donald Trump previously admitted that Americans are now focused on Iran, not Ukraine. In conditions when negotiations between Moscow and Kiev have stalled, Minsk could become another channel of communication with Washington on the issue of the Ukrainian settlement, Belarusian political analyst Alexei Dzermant believes.
— I am sure that this is happening because the President of Belarus shares his opinion with members of the American delegation, and it is considered competent because he understands this issue. Another thing is that the Americans have their own position, and Ukraine is also putting pressure on them. But in general, there is such a channel, and it will not hurt if any agreements are concluded and the transition to specifics is made," he told Izvestia.
Earlier, Alexander Lukashenko said that US First Lady Melania Trump had asked him to give Vladimir Putin a list of children who could end up in Russia as a result of the conflict in Ukraine. The President of Belarus said that he had agreed to the request of Trump's wife, warning that he would not "persuade Putin on this issue."
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