Invitation issued but visa denied: Belarus barred from Trump’s Peace Board
Photo: Alexander Lukashenko, self-proclaimed president of Belarus (Getty Images)
Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhenkov did not attend the first meeting of the Peace Board of US President Donald Trump, as he was denied a visa, according to the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Twitter (X).
Read also: Peace Board explained: Trump’s goals and Ukraine’s perspective
"Visas for our delegation to the Peace Council meeting were not issued, despite all documents being submitted on time and procedures followed," the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said.
The ministry added that the US had been informed in advance that Ryzhenkov would represent Belarus at the event. However, the invitation from Washington was addressed to the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko.
"If even basic formalities aren’t respected, what 'peace' are we talking about?" the Belarusian MFA complained.
Belarus invited to the Peace Board
Earlier, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry had boasted that dictator Alexander Lukashenko received an official invitation from Donald Trump to join the Peace Board, including to address issues related to Gaza.
In Minsk, this was seen "positively," interpreted as "recognition of Lukashenko’s international authority" and confirmation of Belarus’s role in resolving global conflicts.
The Belarusian MFA also expressed readiness to participate in the work of the Board on building a "new security architecture."
Notably, on January 19, it became known that Russian President Vladimir Putin also received an invitation to join the Peace Board. Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said at the time that Moscow was "studying the details" of the proposal. In the end, no final decision was made regarding Russia’s participation in the Peace Board.
