Lukashenko meets US envoy amid Belarus-US tensions

Regional outlets in Eastern Europe highlight efforts to reconcile Belarus with Lithuania as part of managing security on NATO’s eastern flank. They see US envoy John Cole’s talks in Minsk as an attempt to reduce risks from Belarus’s close military ties with Russia. They expect any real thaw to depend on Belarus’s behavior toward Ukraine and on whether Minsk reduces pressure on its own opposition and neighboring states.

• •Regional reports say US-backed talks between Belarus and Lithuania aim to lower tensions along the NATO border.
• •Commentators in this group stress that Belarus’s role in supporting Russian military activity remains a core concern for Baltic states.
• •Officials in neighboring countries link any improvement in relations with Minsk to Belarus not deepening its involvement in the war in Ukraine.
• •Regional media note that Lukashenko’s talk of mediating in Iran is viewed with caution, given his alignment with Moscow.
• •Some regional voices argue that practical steps like border cooperation and reduced military exercises near Lithuania would be needed before trust can grow.