Trump may meet Belarusian leader Lukashenko in US, envoy says
Alexander Lukashenko (photo: Getty Images)
Washington is considering inviting Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko for a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House or at his Mar-a-Lago residence, US presidential envoy John Cole said, according to the Financial Times.
Cole said that discussions of such a step have been ongoing for several months, but a final decision has not yet been made.
"We've still got a lot of work to do to get there, but I think we'll get there," he emphasized.
Visit of Trump's special envoy to Belarus
On March 19, US presidential envoy John Cole arrived in Minsk, where he met with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
The sides discussed the normalization of diplomatic missions, prospects for economic cooperation, and the sensitive issue for the West of releasing political prisoners. At the same time, Lukashenko stated that Belarusian legislation does not include the concept of a political prisoner.
In addition, during his visit to Minsk, Cole discussed a possible visit of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to the United States.
What is known about Cole
US envoy John Cole was appointed to this position in November 2025. He has already held several rounds of Belarusian-American negotiations.
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 the release of detainees 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.
