Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko arrives at the Kremlin Palace for a meeting with the Russian President in Moscow on March 13, 2025. PHOTO: Alexander Zemlianichenko / AFP / Profimedia
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko signed an agreement on Tuesday to join US President Donald Trump's Peace Council, the latest step in a process of rapprochement with Washington after years of international isolation, writes Reuters.
A Telegram channel of the Minsk presidency published a video of Lukashenko signing the document and saying he hoped it would contribute to peace in Ukraine.
Lukashenko, in power since 1994, has long been shunned by the West over human rights allegations and support for Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Ukraine war. Moreover, Lukashenko is considered the Kremlin's closest ally.
Last year, however, Trump began easing sanctions against Belarus in exchange for the release of political prisoners. He called Lukashenko a “highly respected” leader – a description that contrasts with the opinion of the exiled Belarusian opposition, who see him as a dictator.
The invitation to join the Peace Council marks a further stage in Lukashenko's rehabilitation by the US, which continues to negotiate with him for the release of other detainees and the normalization of relations.
⚡️⚡️⚡️ President #Lukashenko on behalf of the Republic of #Belarus has signed a document formalizing Belarus' accession to the Board of Peace and committing to uphold the provisions of its Charter.
📑 This step fully follows the procedure outlined in the letter from US… pic.twitter.com/W7AjnyA3M4
— Belarus MFA 🇧🇾 (@BelarusMFA) January 20, 2026
Trump initially proposed the establishment of the Council (“Board of Peace”) when he announced last September his plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip. But an invitation sent last week to world leaders underscores the body's important role in ending conflicts globally.
A draft charter sent by the US administration to about 60 countries requires members to contribute $1 billion in cash if they want their membership to last more than three years, according to the document seen by Reuters.
On Monday, Trump said he had also invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to become a member of the Council.
Armenia announced on Tuesday that it would also join. Trump took credit for ending a long-running conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which have fought two wars since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
