Belarus seeks to engage EU countries to break isolation, Reuters reports
A senior Belarusian diplomat held meetings with European officials as part of Belarus's effort to break out of diplomatic isolation, Reuters reported on Oct. 17, citing undisclosed diplomatic sources.
Minsk has faced heavy Western political and economic sanctions over the massive electoral fraud during the 2020 presidential election, and for supporting Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine two years later.
Yuri Ambrazevich, a former Belarusian deputy foreign minister and current ambassador to the Vatican, was reportedly tasked with an outreach to Western European nations and contacted several EU diplomats.
One European diplomat confirmed for Reuters that he met Ambrazevich, who suggested that Belarus could be involved in the Russia-Ukraine peace efforts and play a role in discussions on European security.
The Belarusian envoy requested several meetings in Paris on Oct. 6, 8, and 9, Reuters reported, citing an email it had obtained. Several countries accepted the invitation, though it remains unclear which or how many, according to the news agency.
The Belarusian Embassy in Paris confirmed to Reuters that Ambrazevich requested to meet with several foreign diplomats, but described it as "standard diplomatic practice."
The news comes amid renewed dialogue between the U.S. and Belarus, with Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko voicing readiness to strengthen ties if it benefits Minsk.
The U.S. in September 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.
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, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, allowed Russian forces to launch attacks on Ukraine from Belarusian territory at the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
