Russia’s ally says it’s ready for ‘big deal’ with US
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has announced that he is ready to secure a “big deal” with the US.
In a meeting with senior officials in Minsk on Tuesday, he said that after recent contacts with President Donald Trump’s envoys, Belarus is willing to meet certain “global proposals” from the US.
“But our interests must also be taken into account. And everything must be fair,” he stressed.
The US has moved to reopen diplomatic relations with Belarus for purely “pragmatic purposes,” the president said.
Our policy on resuming relations with the United States must also be built exclusively on Belarusian interests.
Lukashenko added that according to Belarusian national airline Belavia, despite an earlier agreement to loosen restrictions US “sanctions have not yet been fully lifted,” and the carrier still faces certain restrictions on destinations and repairs.
The Trump administration moved to thaw relations with Belarus and lift Biden-era sanctions on Belavia last month as part of a deal that freed 52 prisoners from the country.
Washington imposed the restrictions in 2023, after accusing Lukashenko of election fraud and “complicity” in the Ukraine conflict.
US sanctions on Belarus have been in place since 2021, when Washington accused Lukashenko of election fraud committed in the 2020 presidential election.
Protests swept the country in the wake of the vote, which Minsk has said was orchestrated by the US, Western European nations and Ukraine.
