Kellogg Denies Promising Lukashenko Restrictions on Ukraine’s Attacks on Russia: A Detailed Overview of Minsk Events
Special US President’s envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, officially refuted widespread media reports claiming that he had allegedly promised Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to limit Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory. In a statement shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Kellogg emphasized that these assertions are taken out of context and do not accurately represent the nature of his discussions. According to the US representative, the conversation with Lukashenko primarily focused on an unconditional ceasefire, with any restrictions on Kyiv's actions being conditional upon reciprocal steps from Moscow. Kellogg reaffirmed that he never talked about Ukraine continuing the war or restricting its military efforts, and his words were distorted. The Minsk meeting took place on June 21, and shortly after, several political prisoners, including opposition figure Sergey Tikhonovsky, who was sentenced to 18 years in 2021, were released. Besides him, blogger Igor Losik and at least 12 others regained their freedom. Minsk officials claimed that Tikhonovsky’s release was requested by then-US President Donald Trump, though no official confirmation from the US side has been provided. The circumstances behind these releases have sparked intense discussions internationally and raised suspicions regarding the real motives and political implications involved.