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Belarus' Lukashenko meets US envoy Kellogg in Minsk

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (second from right) meeting US envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg (second from left) in Minsk, on June 21. PHOTO: EPA-EFE MINSK - Mr Alexander Lukashenko met US special presidential envoy General Keith Kellogg in Minsk on June 21, according to a video published on the Belarusian president's website. 'You've stirred up quite a lot of noise around the world with your visit. But I'm surprised by that – can't we have a normal dialogue and talk about our affairs, about the relations between Belarus and the United States of America?' Mr Lukashenko said in opening remarks. General Kellogg is the highest-ranking US official to visit Belarus in several years. In February 2020, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo travelled to Belarus in what was the first visit by a top-ranked US diplomat since 1993. 'With all the gold here, it looks a lot like Mar-a-Lago,' Gen Kellogg said, comparing Mr Lukashenko's Independence Palace with US President Donald Trump's private club in Florida. The meeting agenda included international issues and the overall situation in the world, as well as Belarusian-American relations, the state-owned agency Belta reported. Mr Lukashenko, 70, has been under various sanctions for nearly a decade due to his role in undermining democratic processes in the former Soviet republic. He was re-designated by the US under expanded penalties in 2022, in response to Belarus' support for Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Mr Lukashenko remains Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest ally. The Belarusian strongman has remained in power for more than three decades, with nearly 1,200 people in the country currently recognised as political prisoners, according to the exiled human rights centre Viasna. Gen Kellogg's visit raised expectations that Belarus may soon release a number of captives. The White House has not commented on the meeting. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.