Lukashenko Has Been Put On A Very Short Leash

• 20.02.2026, 9:43

This is eloquently evidenced by a photo from Washington.

On February 19, the first meeting of the Peace Council initiated by US President Donald Trump took place in Washington.

Alexander Lukashenko, who was one of the first to join the newly-formed organization, was not among its participants.

Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhenkov, who was delegated instead of the ruler, was not there either. The Foreign Ministry explained this by the fact that the Belarusian delegation was allegedly not given a visa.

The group photo next to the head of the White House included all those whom we are usually used to seeing together at the same table with Vladimir Putin - Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Ilham Aliyev, Kasym Zhomart-Tokayev and Nikol Pashinyan. A sad irony of political fate: the same Pashinyan whom Lukashenko recently urged to calm down so that he would "not destroy Armenia."

The fact remains that one can argue at length about whether Lukashenko needed to fly to Washington at all, with no guarantees of a face-to-face meeting with Trump.

But it seems that he has been deprived of the very ability to choose how far he can get away from home.

Kiril Ivanov, "Salidarnasts"