Key points
- Lukashenko and Kellogg discussed US sanctions against Belarus, events in the Middle East and the war between Russia and Ukraine.
- Belarus could become a venue for Russian-Ukrainian negotiations, allowing Lukashenko to act as a mediator in order to avoid responsibility for crimes against humanity and aggression against Ukraine.
- The dialogue between Lukashenko and Kellogg was probably with the consent of the Kremlin, since Belarus could become a channel for bypassing sanctions.
Keith Kellogg and Alexander Lukashenko met on June 21, 2025. It is known that they discussed US sanctions against Belarus, events in the Middle East, and the war between Russia and Ukraine. The self-proclaimed Belarusian president also has his own cunning goals, but without the Kremlin, the meeting would probably not have happened.
US contacts with Minsk may be an attempt to create a platform for negotiations to end the Russian-Ukrainian war. Deputy head of the Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, diplomat and oppositionist Pavel Latushko told Channel 24 that this is beneficial to Lukashenko.
What does Lukashenko want?
Pavel Latushko noted that, despite his ties with Russia, the self-proclaimed leader of Belarus has his own goals, as he strives for recognition and subjectivity. Lukashenko dreams of Donald Trump's visit.
Important! Following negotiations between Lukashenko and Kellogg, Belarusian opposition leader Sergei Tikhanovsky was released. Analysts believe that this was only a pretext for the meeting. Political scientist Petr Oleshchuk suggested that the release of political prisoners could have been an initiative of Lukashenko himself to cover up his true intentions and attempts to strengthen his position.
If Belarus becomes a place where negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are held, then the pseudo-leader of the country will become a mediator, saying that he is involved in peace.
In addition, it is important for him (Lukashenko – Channel 24) to get rid of responsibility for the crimes against humanity that he committed in Belarus and for the act of aggression against Ukraine, the oppositionist said.
According to him, this dialogue between Lukashenko and Kellogg was definitely with the consent of the Kremlin, because Vladimir Putin needs Belarus for negotiations and for sanctions to be lifted from this country.
If the Americans lift sanctions, then for Russia, Belarusian territory will become another channel for circumventing its own restrictions, Latushko noted.
However, in his opinion, Lukashenko has not done enough for the US to do this.
