Kathrine Frich
US President Donald Trump has presented the newly formed Peace Council as a platform aimed at reshaping global diplomacy and opening new channels of dialogue between rival states.
The initiative is intended to bring together dozens of countries to discuss conflict resolution and strategic cooperation.
But the first meeting of the council has already been overshadowed by a diplomatic dispute.
Visa dispute erupts
Belarus says it was unable to attend the inaugural session in Washington because the United States failed to issue visas for its delegation.
According to the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Alexander Lukashenko accepted the invitation to join the Peace Council, with Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhankou expected to represent the country.
However, the ministry stated that despite registering and fulfilling procedural requirements, the delegation did not receive the necessary entry documents.
” In this situation, the question arises – what kind of peace and what steps are we talking about if the organizers are unable to even complete the basic formalities so that we can participate? ” the ministry said.
Minsk accused the American side of failing to finalize the required formalities.
Political context
The incident is particularly notable given Trump’s recent remarks about Lukashenko. In January, the US president described the Belarusian leader as a “highly respected” figure.
The invitation to Belarus had been viewed as part of tentative efforts to stabilize relations, potentially including discussions around political prisoners held in the country.
Despite the absence of the Belarusian delegation, the Peace Council meeting proceeded in Washington with representatives from 49 countries, most attending as observers.
Hungary, Romania, Argentina, Egypt and Kazakhstan were among those represented at leadership level.
Poland participated as an observer, represented by Marcin Przydacz, head of the presidential International Policy Office.
US officials have not publicly commented on Belarus’s allegations regarding the visa issue.
Sources: Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, WP.
