"At the presidential palace in Minsk, Europe's longest-serving leader smiled broadly as he accepted a small metal box from a visiting US delegation. Inside lay a pair of embossed White House cufflinks a personal gift from Donald Trump to Alexander Lukashenko, who revelled in the attention after years as a western pariah. Since Trump took office, Lukashenko, an authoritarian strongman who has ruled Belarus since 1994, has been edging out of the diplomatic freeze,"
"Sensing a political opening with the new Trump administration, Lukashenko has regularly met US officials and even held a call with the US president, who has floated the idea of a direct meeting. Some in Washington see Lukashenko as a potential interlocutor with Vladimir Putin on ending the war in Ukraine. Keith Kellogg, Trump's envoy to Ukraine, has privately said he places a high value on Lukashenko's insights into the Russian leader, according to a source familiar with the talks."
Alexander Lukashenko received a personal gift from Donald Trump and has begun re-engaging with US officials after years of western isolation. Lukashenko has held meetings and a phone call with the US president and is probing for diplomatic space beyond Moscow. Some US officials view him as a possible interlocutor with Vladimir Putin on ending the war in Ukraine, and US envoys value his insights into the Russian leader. European diplomats are rethinking isolation policies and considering offering a path away from Moscow's shadow as Belarus signals openness to talks. Lukashenko long relied on subsidised Russian oil and gas to maintain power.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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