Belarus – USA: dialogue continues

President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko held negotiations with a U.S. delegation led by U.S. Special Envoy for Belarus John Coale at the Palace of Independence on March 19th

belta

“As if you did not have a long journey. You are full of energy. I am very glad you are in good spirits and looking lively. That is probably because, John [Coale], you stopped by to see your friends first, and did not fly straight to Belarus. It is time to start coming directly to us,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said at the beginning of the meeting.
“Yes, that would be nice,” John Coale replied.

“So, it is no secret that the agenda has been determined in advance. This is why I am ready, as always, to discuss and address any issues. I would like to encourage you to touch upon regional issues. Not only the Ukraine issues, but also global ones. And not only the war in the Middle East,” the Head of State said. “My point of view on global issues, especially the situation in the Middle East, will be important for you, since you are fighting against our friends, and I am ready to speak openly on this topic.”

“I would very much like you to convey my perspective to [U.S. President] Donald Trump. Although I believe the United States has made certain mistakes, I remain a supporter of your President,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.
Minsk saw the previous round of Belarus–U.S. talks in December 2025. The recent meeting lasted almost three hours and was productive as well.

Coale on value of meeting with Aleksandr Lukashenko

The U.S. delegation left the Palace of Independence at 4p.m. Before that, the media representatives did not miss the opportunity to ask the American guest in detail what was discussed behind closed doors. Obviously, the list of topics discussed was very wide, and the conversation was undoubtedly candid, open and constructive. John Coale made no secret of the good progress in the development of Belarus–U.S. relations and answered all the journalists’ questions in detail. 
Talking with reporters, John Coale stressed that he always speaks well with Aleksandr Lukashenko, the parties discuss a wide range of issues. 
Describing the recent meeting, the U.S. Special Envoy to Belarus noted, “We discussed a lot of issues related to the relations between Belarus and the United States. We also discussed what Belarus thinks about the war in Iran, what the United States thinks about it, and how this situation is developing.”
John Coale also emphasised the value of his meeting with the Belarusian leader, 

“It is always very valuable to hear the opinion of the President of Belarus, because this is a completely different opinion compared to what we can get in the West — it is valuable for us. I will definitely convey everything that we have discussed here to Washington.”

Among the topics discussed were the situation in Venezuela and other regions, as well as the global impact of current events.
As noted by the journalists, many media outlets now spread the opinion that the conflict in Ukraine has been under the radar recently against the background of the war with Iran, so they wondered about the U.S. attitude to the matter.
“These are different conflicts,” John Coale noted. “Naturally, the situation in Ukraine is much more important for Russia and Ukraine than what is happening in the Middle East. For Iran, the United States and Israel, what is happening in the Middle East is much more important. Therefore, the situation is very fluid and changes every day.”
The United States is interested in improving relations between Belarus and Lithuania, stated John Coale. 
The journalists remarked that, prior to his arrival in Minsk, John Coale had met with the Lithuanian Prime Minister in Vilnius. It seems that the American side is being forced to believe that Belarus allegedly poses a threat because of drones and balloons, although the Belarusian leader has repeatedly reported on how the situation is developing in reality, refuting such statements.
Commenting on what the American side thinks about this state of affairs, John Coale noted that, naturally, he hears the opinions of the leaders of Lithuania and other countries. “In our work with representatives of Lithuania, we are carrying out a humanitarian mission in this case. We want relations between Belarus and Lithuania to improve,” the U.S. Special Envoy said.

John Coale during a conversation with journalists                                                                                belta

President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko confirmed that he will take part in one of the Board of Peace meetings.
According to John Coale, the American side was disappointed that Aleksandr Lukashenko was unable to attend the Board of Peace meeting in Washington. “President Trump has invited President Lukashenko to take part in any of the upcoming Board of Peace meetings. We discussed this issue. President Lukashenko confirmed that he will take part in one of the meetings of the Board of Peace,” the U.S. Special Envoy said.
One of the topics discussed during the meeting was the possibility of the Belarusian leader’s visit to the United States. “We discussed a possible trip by President Lukashenko to the United States and will work to arrange it,” John Coale said.
He added that U.S. President Donald Trump talks about President Lukashenko ‘all the time’, “He speaks of him as his very good friend and a respected world leader.”
John Coale did not rule out the possibility of a direct contact between the presidents of Belarus and the United States, Aleksandr Lukashenko and Donald Trump, in the near future. “Given a wide range of issues on the bilateral agenda, should we expect a telephone conversation or some other direct bilateral contact between Lukashenko and Trump in the short term?” the journalists asked.
The answer was very concise and intriguing. “Yes,” John Coale said.
U.S. Special Envoy John Coale also commented to Belarusian journalists on statements that his position was influenced by someone other than the two presidents.
In particular, the journalists drew attention to the fact that various statements emerge in the media space from different people (including opponents abroad) who insist that the meetings of Americans with the Belarusian side are held only thanks to their efforts and influence.
John Coale gave an unequivocal answer, “I am ‘under the influence’: that is, I work with President Trump and President Lukashenko.”
Regarding the statements of some individuals, the U.S. Special Envoy said, “I know that these people exist somewhere, and that they are trying in every possible way to inflate their importance through the media. This does not influence me whatsoever. I receive no instructions from anyone else, except President Trump.”

USA lifting sanctions on two Belarus’ banks, Finance Ministry, potash issue finally resolved

John Coale told reporters that the United States is lifting sanctions off two Belarusian banks and the Finance Ministry, as well as that the potash issue has been finally settled. “The United States is lifting sanctions off the Belinvestbank, Belarus’ Development Bank and the Ministry of Finance,” John Coale stated.
Statements were made on lifting sanctions of Belarusian potash during the previous round of talks in December 2025. Now, according to the U.S. Special Envoy, this issue has been finally settled, “We, being the United States, is fully divesting Belaruskali and Belarus’ Potash Company.”
In this context, journalists asked how long it would take to effectively formalise the new decisions to lift sanctions that have just been announced, whether this would be done immediately or would take some time. “I assure you this time it will happen much faster,” John Coale emphasised. “We have learnt to do it faster. We have had extensive discussions with the Treasury Department and other American departments involved in sanctions enforcement.”
Belarus and the United States continue to work on the issue of resuming the operation of the U.S. Embassy in Minsk, John Coale added.
Answering the question about the current stage of the process of reopening the U.S. Embassy in Minsk and a possible date for the start of its activity, John Coale noted, “We definitely discussed this issue at the meeting with President Lukashenko. Prior to our trip here, we held extensive consultations with the U.S. Department of State and other involved structures. Work is underway in this direction. I cannot give any specific dates, but work is underway, and both sides agree that it is very important.”

Based on materials of sb.by and belta.by