{"id":190092,"date":"2026-06-01T16:19:05","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T13:19:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/190092\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T16:19:07","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T13:19:07","slug":"lukasenka-claims-diplomacy-breakthrough-with-macron-amid-sanctions-push","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/190092\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0141uka\u0161enka claims diplomacy breakthrough with Macron amid sanctions push"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka, speaking during a Eurasian economic summit in Astana on May 29, told journalists about details of his conversation with Emmanuel Macron five days earlier. He claimed that the French president is eager to help the European Union find common ground with Minsk.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said the conversation lasted one hour and forty minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n (Belarusian leader's website, flickr.com, Bie\u0142aru\u015bkalij\/Pozirk's collage)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Macron address and personal remarks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s account of the conversation suggests that he continues to emphasize his international recognition after the European Union refused to acknowledge him following the 2020 presidential election, which Brussels said was marred by large-scale fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said Macron addressed him as \u201cMr. President\u201d and used a polite form of address, including his first and middle name, \u201cAlaksandar Ryhorjevi\u010d.\u201d \u201cI was surprised he could pronounce it,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka frequently uses public appearances to stress that Western leaders, such as former German chancellor Angela Merkel, US President Donald Trump, and now Macron, treat him as the legitimate president of Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a phone conversation with Merkel in 2021 during the migration crisis, he claimed that she also called him \u201cMr. President.\u201d Belarusian state media later widely publicized birthday greetings from Trump and his wife, as well as Trump\u2019s use of the phrase \u201crespected President\u201d in reference to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s account, Macron also used the formal French pronoun \u201cvous,\u201d while \u0141uka\u0161enka himself reportedly used the informal \u201c\u0442\u044b.\u201d \u201cI told him if you (\u2018\u0442\u044b\u2019) are afraid to fly to Minsk, send your representative,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Envoy expected in Minsk<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka announced that Macron\u2019s envoy is expected to arrive in Minsk this week, either on Monday or Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brice Roquefeuil, director for continental Europe at the French foreign ministry, had already visited Minsk on February 5 and 6. However, the Belarusian authorities did not publicly acknowledge the visit until it was later reported in the media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This time, according to political analyst Alexander Friedman, \u0141uka\u0161enka announced the visit in advance in order to avoid a negative reaction from Moscow, which is reportedly wary of his independent contacts with Western countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inroads for Ukraine peace talks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka said he asked Macron to consider hosting or facilitating three-party talks involving himself, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and either in Moscow or Minsk, in an effort to explore ways to achieve peace in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe agreed that issues related to European security should be resolved by Europeans themselves. It is not for [US President] Donald Trump to lecture us or pressure us into peace,\u201d he said. He noted that Trump has repeatedly described the war in Ukraine as a European issue. \u201cHe is right about that. Europe must take responsibility for resolving these issues itself rather than waiting for others to act,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This reflects what appears to be \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s attempt to maintain a balancing act: aligning closely with Moscow while also presenting himself as a potentially useful intermediary in future Ukraine peace negotiations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Western European politicians, including Macron, have also discussed the possibility of engaging in talks with Moscow, arguing that Europe should play a central role in European security architecture rather than relying primarily on the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka appears to be seeking to position himself within this dynamic as a figure trusted by Putin. Earlier, he attempted to present himself in a similar role to the Trump administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although he did not make significant progress in contributing to a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, he did succeed in attracting Washington\u2019s attention to Belarus. Eventually, discussions shifted to a potential \u201cgrand bargain\u201d between Belarus and the United States: the release of all or most political prisoners in exchange for sanctions relief and other concessions from Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this way, \u0141uka\u0161enka has sought to gain a degree of legitimacy in the eyes of US policymakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Macron, according to \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s version of events, may have contacted him to explore whether he could facilitate communication with Putin regarding the war in Ukraine. \u0141uka\u0161enka, in turn, has shown willingness to assist while also seeking to extract political and economic benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Potash sanctions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Belarusian leader also said he made it clear to the French president that lifting European Union sanctions on potash fertilizers could help normalize relations between Belarus and the bloc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He noted that global demand for potash fertilizers remains high. \u201cToday, potash prices and prices for mineral fertilizers have risen. All volumes have been contracted, and if we were to supply [fertilizers] to someone, we do not have a single [spare] ton of mineral fertilizers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also urged Macron to help restore transit routes through Lithuania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course, it would be good if we could, as before, load this potash in Lithuania, close to us. The profit margin would be higher.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this way, \u0141uka\u0161enka appears to be trying to leverage Macron\u2019s diplomatic ambitions and interest in dialogue with Moscow to promote Belarusian potash exports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It remains unclear whether Macron will respond positively, although \u0141uka\u0161enka has previously succeeded in encouraging Washington to pressure Vilnius, Warsaw, and Kyiv over potash-related sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His broader objective appears to be to secure EU concessions without offering corresponding changes in Belarus\u2019 domestic political situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It should be noted that \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s account of the conversation cannot be independently verified. Macron reportedly called him to warn about the consequences of Belarus\u2019 deeper involvement in Russia\u2019s war against Ukraine, a fact confirmed by the Belarusian leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, as a skilled negotiator, \u0141uka\u0161enka appears to have used the opportunity to broaden the discussion to other issues, including sanctions relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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