Lukashenko Delivers Putin’s Request to the US: Influence on Zelensky and Halt the Escalation of Conflict
Amid ongoing hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko made a surprising statement that could potentially alter the regional dynamics. During a patriotic celebration marking Belarus Independence Day, he revealed that during a recent meeting with US Special Envoy Keith Kellogg, he conveyed a personal request from Vladimir Putin. According to Lukashenko, the Russian leader asked for influence over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to persuade him to refrain from launching strikes on Russian cities and critical infrastructure. In his speech, Lukashenko emphasized that Putin does not want Western missiles—particularly from the US, UK, France, and Germany—to hit Russian territories. He stated that he transmitted this stance to Kellogg, who promised to work in this direction. Lukashenko appealed to the West, urging them to tell Zelensky to stop attacks, suggesting that this could be a significant step toward ending the brotherly war. He also expressed deep skepticism about the West’s intentions to de-escalate the conflict, suggesting that sincere peace efforts are unlikely. Additionally, there are ongoing negotiations between Belarus and the United States regarding full normalization of diplomatic relations, as reported by Belarusian UN ambassador Valentin Rybakov. Overall, this situation underscores the complex and multi-layered diplomatic interplay among nations involved in the conflict and their endeavors to find a way out of the crisis.