Belarus makes overture to EU countries after rapprochement with US
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A senior Belarusian diplomat has recently met with European representatives following Minsk’s decision to issue diplomatic invitations last month, a move seen by European diplomats as an attempt to ease Belarus’s growing isolation. The outreach comes amid a tentative thaw with Washington under US President Donald Trump, Reuters reports.
Since the disputed 2020 election and the ensuing crackdown on opposition protests, senior Belarusian officials have been largely barred from the EU. Sanctions were subsequently expanded after Belarus supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, further deepening its international isolation.
However, signs of quiet engagement have begun to surface. According to one European diplomat, a recent meeting took place with Yuri Ambrazevich, Belarus’s former deputy foreign minister, who was appointed in March as ambassador to the Vatican. Ambrazevich’s mission reportedly includes rebuilding channels of communication with European nations and testing the ground for renewed dialogue.
While EU officials remain cautious, the move marks one of the first direct diplomatic contacts between Belarus and European representatives in several years, hinting at Minsk’s possible effort to recalibrate its foreign relations amid continued Western sanctions and its close alignment with Moscow.
