Belarus is sending diplomatic signals to European countries after the warming of its relations with Washington, triggered by the policies of President Donald Trump, European diplomats reported, quoted by "Reuters".
The aim is to reduce Minsk's international isolation, imposed after the repression of the opposition in 2020 and support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Yuriy Ambrazevych, a former deputy foreign minister, now ambassador to the Vatican and Paris, sent emails to diplomats of several European countries with invitations for meetings in late September. The message states that Ambrazevic "unofficially coordinates Belarus' diplomatic contacts in Western Europe". Some countries have accepted the invitation, three European diplomats confirmed.
Ambrazevic has said that Belarus is seeking to break its political isolation and could play a role in future talks on European security and resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Diplomats say the initiative is a "charm offensive" aimed at showing that Minsk is not entirely dependent on Moscow.
The rapprochement with Washington includes the release of more than 50 political prisoners in September and the easing of sanctions on the state-owned airline "Belavia". President Alexander Lukashenko, a longtime ally of Vladimir Putin, has received praise from Trump and increased attention from American envoys.
However, some Europeans remain skeptical, noting Minsk’s continued dependence on Moscow, including joint military exercises in September and plans for a nuclear power plant in eastern Belarus. Arrests of opposition figures following the release of prisoners have also undermined trust.
Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has called on the EU to maintain sanctions until “systemic and irreversible democratic changes” occur.
A key goal for Lukashenko is easing sanctions on potash fertilizers and restoring access to Baltic ports, but the opposition and the EU’s Baltic member states are staunchly opposed.