Zakharova Denies Minsk’s Role In Russia-U.S. Relations: Moscow And Washington Have Sufficient Channels For Direct Dialogue

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on October 23 that Moscow and Washington have enough channels for direct dialogue, responding to a question about Belarus’s role in normalizing relations between Russia and the United States.

Zakharova was asked about Aleksandr Lukashenko’s readiness for a “grand deal” with the U.S. A journalist inquired how Russia views the recent increase in U.S.-Belarus contacts and what role Belarus plays in the normalization of Russian-American relations.

The Foreign Ministry representative said that Russia and Belarus exchange information about their interactions with the United States.

“Should I repeat myself? But just in case, so no one says I failed to emphasize it in my response, I’ll repeat: Belarus is our closest strategic ally, with whom we closely coordinate positions on the international stage, including under the high-level approved program of coordinated foreign policy actions of the Union State member states for 2024–2026. The presidents and the foreign ministries of our countries, in a spirit of allied relations, regularly exchange information on the development of their engagement with the new U.S. administration,” Zakharova said.

According to her, Moscow supports a “constructive and mutually respectful dialogue” with all foreign partners, but not at the expense of national interests or allied commitments, “taking into account their practical policies toward Russia.”

Zakharova emphasized that the United States and Russia have sufficient channels for direct communication.

“With Donald Trump’s return to power in the United States, Washington is pursuing a more deliberate… well, it declares that it seeks to conduct a more balanced foreign policy. We take note of both their statements and concrete steps in this regard. The White House says that this approach will also apply to Russia and Russia’s allies. Moscow and Washington, of course, have sufficient channels for direct dialogue. And certainly, I can say that I have already expressed my position regarding our relations with Belarus,” Zakharova said.

Earlier, Aleksandr Lukashenko claimed he had advised the United States on how to deal with Russia. Last week, he said that Washington had offered Belarus a “small role” in resolving the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.