Фото: Facebook Franklin Graham
The visit to Minsk by American preacher Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, provides grounds for a different view of the negotiation track between the Belarusian regime and the administration of Donald Trump. It also offers an opportunity to imagine who and why might assume the role of the main lobbyist for Aliaksandr Lukashenka in Washington.
Last weekend, the Protestant “Festival of Hope” took place at Chyzhouka Arena in Minsk, headlined by conservative American preacher Franklin Graham. He is a well-known and influential preacher who heads two major American charitable organizations — Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Franklin Graham is considered one of the apologists of the MAGA movement and an active supporter of Donald Trump. Suffice it to say that it was Graham who delivered a sermon at the inauguration ceremony of the U.S. president in January 2025. It can safely be said that today Franklin Graham is one of the most influential public figures in the United States, with direct access to Trump and members of his administration.
Accompanying Graham to Minsk was also well-known American journalist Greta Van Susteren, the wife of Donald Trump’s special envoy for Belarus John Coale. She has worked for many years with Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse charity. The Coale–Van Susteren couple are long-time close acquaintances of Franklin Graham. This makes it possible to assume that John Coale may have obtained the position of Trump’s special envoy for Belarus with Graham’s assistance.
For a long time, the main question surrounding the negotiation track between official Minsk and Washington remained unanswered: why does President Trump need this? Why would the American leader become interested in the problems of political prisoners in a country he would probably struggle to locate on a map? And why exactly did Trump invite Aliaksandr Lukashenka to his Peace Council while leaving out, for example, the leaders of the Baltic states?
Many people, including ourselves, tried to find answers to these questions. Various hypotheses were voiced — for example, Lukashenka’s closeness to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the desire of the American administration to understand the Kremlin’s logic through the Belarusian politician. Or American interest in Belarusian potash, including because of complications in relations between the United States and Canada, one of the world’s leading producers of potash fertilizers. The hypotheses varied, but all of them looked rather unconvincing — at least until Franklin Graham’s arrival in Belarus. Now that the missing pieces have surfaced, this puzzle can be tentatively assembled into a coherent whole.
John Coale explained how Graham received permission to come to Minsk. According to him, the matter was simple: “I just asked Lukashenka whether Franklin could come and preach. He said yes,” the American diplomat stated.
It is difficult to believe this account completely. If only because the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate wields enormous influence in Belarus. Lukashenka repeatedly discussed the possibility of a papal visit to the country, but it never happened because of opposition from the Russian Orthodox Church, which clearly spoke out against such plans. Yet suddenly an American evangelical preacher receives carte blanche and holds an event in the Belarusian capital attended by tens of thousands of people. It is reasonable to assume that Lukashenka had to make an effort to overcome the resistance of the Russian Orthodox Church — or simply ignore its position. In addition, he arranged a meeting between Graham and Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, Metropolitan of Minsk and Zaslawje Veniamin. Therefore, Graham is clearly very important and useful to the Belarusian politician.
To understand why he is important and useful, it is enough to imagine how American politics works. There are many countries in the world, and far from all of them even enter Washington’s orbit of attention — or remain there for long. To attract attention, a country needs a good lobbyist: a person with authority who is capable of conveying a message to those who make decisions and influence them. And Franklin Graham is an ideal candidate for this role.
The most important thing remained: to interest Graham in something and bring him onto one’s side. That was obviously not easy to do, especially given that the Belarusian regime had repeatedly pressured evangelical churches in the country. Lukashenka effectively admitted to Franklin Graham how many Protestant communities in Belarus had been liquidated during the so-called re-registration process — according to estimates by Christian Vision, more than 80 Protestant communities did not survive it. It is quite possible that Graham was already aware of these “religious purges,” since the U.S. State Department prepares annual reports on international religious freedom.
But this may have become one of the arguments that prompted Franklin Graham to become involved in the process. In exchange for lobbying services, he could secure guarantees of the regime’s loyalty toward Protestant communities in the country. And the large-scale festival held at Chyzhouka Arena is the best proof of that. Protecting and developing Protestant communities in Belarus — why would that not be a mission for an influential American preacher?
In addition, official approval for Graham and his foundations to operate in Belarus gives them the opportunity to move much closer to Russia — and those prospects are far more attractive than nine-million-strong Belarus.
We can only speculate when this operation began, how long it was prepared, and who took part in it. But shortly after Donald Trump’s inauguration, in February 2025, Lukashenka met with representatives of religious denominations operating in Belarus. Among the participants were Bishop of the Republican Religious Association “United Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith in the Republic of Belarus” Leonid Biryuk and Chairman of the Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists Leonid Mikhovich. At that meeting, Lukashenka highly praised the “social work of the United Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith.” Now it was Mikhovich who organized the “Festival of Hope” at Chyzhouka Arena with Graham’s participation.
Perhaps it was in February last year that the campaign to recruit one of America’s leading preachers, Franklin Graham, as a lobbyist for the regime began. Belarusian diplomats in the United States may have sought access to him. Or perhaps some Belarusian Protestants who had previously emigrated to the country helped facilitate it. Such details are certainly interesting, though not the most important thing. The important thing is the final result.
Graham is quite capable of advising Trump and his administration on strategy toward the Belarusian regime. He could lobby for his good acquaintance John Coale to become special envoy for Belarus. With his assistance, he could work to secure the release of political prisoners, something that also fits perfectly into the system of Christian values. He could influence the lifting of U.S. sanctions against the Belarusian regime. He could help include Lukashenka among the politicians invited to the Peace Council. And Trump could later boast on Truth Social about the release of political prisoners, with lobbyists helping to add points to his image. All this without particularly delving into Belarusian issues, leaving them to Graham and Coale.
While in Minsk, Franklin Graham not only met with Lukashenka, but also urged believers gathered at Chyzhouka Arena to pray for the politician. In doing so, he demonstrated his loyalty and lack of intention to promote narratives that the Belarusian regime might find objectionable. Meanwhile, his identical appeal to Russians attending the festival to pray for Vladimir Putin may indicate Graham’s far-reaching plans regarding Russia.
Franklin Graham stated that he expects Lukashenka and Trump to meet soon. Could he help arrange such a meeting? I believe so. If the version that the Belarusian politician found a path to Trump’s heart through American Protestants is correct, this opens major prospects for him — up to securing participation in negotiations on peace in Ukraine, something Lukashenka has long dreamed of achieving. A lobbyist of Franklin Graham’s stature is capable of much. The main thing now is not to miss the window of opportunity.
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The opinions and assessments of the author may not coincide with the position of the Reform.news editorial board