US in contact with Belarus to 'ensure lines of communication' with Putin, Kellogg says
The U.S. is engaging with Belarus as part of efforts to maintain open channels of communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg said on Sept. 30 at the Warsaw Security Forum.
Washington announced on Sept. 11 that Belarusian flag carrier Belavia would regain access to U.S.-made components after Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko released 52 political prisoners, including foreigners.
"We are not sure what he (Lukashenko) says, but we know that he talks to him (Putin)," Kellogg said. "But what we did, we established a relationship to ensure the lines of communication were open so we could make sure all of our messaging was being passed to President Putin."
Kellogg explained that this was one of the reasons why the U.S. lifted sanctions on Belavia.
The envoy also emphasized that the primary aim of this outreach was not the release of political prisoners, but to "find a resolution to the best way we can to the war between Ukraine and Russia."
Kellogg noted that the U.S. remains realistic about Lukashenko's regime, adding that "if he releases one (prisoner), he probably picks up two more."
While the U.S. lifted sanctions on Belavia to help it repair its aircraft, Washington made it clear that the planes cannot be used for criminal purposes or to transport migrants to Europe, the envoy added.
Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, is widely seen as a close ally of Putin. He allowed Russian forces to use Belarusian territory to launch attacks on Ukraine at the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022.
