The EU is considering whether to end the diplomatic isolation of Belarus in an effort to drive a wedge between it and its close ally, Russia, The Guardian reported on Tuesday, citing European diplomatic sources.
According to the newspaper, there are “tentative discussions in Brussels”about offering Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko “a way out of Moscow’s shadow.” The Guardian also cited a source who said US presidential envoy Keith Kellogg views Lukashenko as a potential intermediary in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The EU first imposed sanctions on Belarus in 2000, citing alleged election fraud and human rights violations, and significantly increased the pressure after the 2020 protests in Minsk sparked by claims of vote-rigging.