Belarus leader Lukashenko may visit US as Trump calls him good friend

Belarus frees over 50 political prisoners as US eases sanctions

"We discussed a possible trip of President Lukashenko to the United States and will work to organize it. President Trump (US President Donald Trump - ed.) constantly mentions President Lukashenko as his good friend, a respected world leader," Cole said.

Trump's special envoy added that he discussed with the Belarusian leader what he thinks about the conflict in the Middle East and how it can be resolved.

"It is always very valuable to receive the opinion of the President of Belarus. Because it is completely different from what we can get in the West. It is very valuable for us. I will definitely convey everything we discussed here today to the United States," Cole emphasized.

What preceded

Today, March 19, Trump's special envoy John Cole arrived in Minsk for a meeting with the Belarusian leader, which took place at the Independence Palace.

The sides discussed normalization of diplomatic missions, prospects for economic cooperation, and the sensitive issue for the West of releasing political prisoners. At the same time, Lukashenko said that Belarusian legislation does not have the concept of a political prisoner.

What is known about Cole

US special envoy John Cole was appointed to this position in November 2025. He has already held several rounds of Belarus-US talks.

During this time, Cole facilitated the release of about 100 hostages, including political prisoners. Previous meetings between Cole and Lukashenko also ended with agreements on prisoner releases and discussions of economic issues.

In December 2025, following talks in Belarus, John Cole said that Lukashenko allegedly gives "good advice" to Donald Trump and his administration regarding the war in Ukraine.