Belarus seeks talks with Kyiv amid efforts to break Western isolation
The head of Belarus' State Security Committee Ivan Tertel claimed on Oct. 19 that his agency is prepared to engage in dialogue with Kyiv to "find a consensus" to end Ukraine's war with Russia, Belarusian state media reported.
The comments from Tertel come as Minsk has ramped up its efforts to break out of diplomatic isolation imposed by Western nations for its role in and support of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"Our president (Dictator Alexander Lukashenko) works as much as possible in order to stabilize the situation in the region. And we’ve managed to balance interests of the parties in this extremely complicated situation with a tendency towards escalation," Tertel said on Belarus One state TV.
"I am convinced that only via quiet and calm negotiations, by looking for a compromise we will be able to resolve this situation," the security chief continued, adding that "a lot depends on the Ukrainian side."
Kyiv has not yet responded to Tertel's comments.
Minsk, in recent months, has provided mixed messaging on its position on Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Earlier this month, Lukashenko lambasted Kyiv over its alleged failure to negotiate an end to the war, warning that Ukraine may "cease to exist as a state" unless President Volodymyr Zelensky "sits down, negotiates, and acts urgently."
The shifting rhetoric on Russia's full-scale invasion comes as Minsk grapples with its military and economic dependence on Moscow as well it's desire to reduce Western sanctions.
Minsk has faced heavy Western political and economic sanctions over massive electoral fraud during the 2020 presidential election, and for allowing Russian forces to launch attacks on Ukraine from Belarusian territory at the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Earlier this month, Belarusian diplomats held meetings with European officials, in an attempt to restart dialogue on it's role in negotiating a ceasefire as well as a reduction in sanctions.
One European diplomat confirmed for Reuters that he met former Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Ambrazevich, who suggested that Belarus could be involved in the Russia-Ukraine peace efforts and play a role in discussions on European security.
The news comes amid renewed dialogue between the U.S. and Belarus, with Lukashenko voicing readiness to strengthen ties if it benefits Minsk.
In September, the U.S. helped to negotiate the release of 52 political prisoners of different nationalities held in Belarus, while Washington agreed to lift sanctions on the Belarusian state airline, Belavia.
U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy, Keith Kellogg, later revealed that the goal of the renewed dialogue with Belarus is to "ensure lines of communication" with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of a broader push to end the war in Ukraine.
Lukashenko has ruled Belarus since 1994, and is widely seen as a close ally of Putin. Last month, Belarus and Russia conducted large-scale joint Zapad-2025 military exercises. The Kremlin claimed around 100,000 troops took part — a show of force that heightened tensions along NATO's eastern flank.
