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 Belarus |  United States |
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Interstate relations between theUnited States andBelarus began in 1991 upon thedissolution of the Soviet Union, of which Belarus had been a part. However, the relations have turned negative due to accusations by the United States that Belarus has been violating human rights. Belarus, in turn, has accused the United States of interfering in its internal affairs.
In 2008, Belarus recalled its ambassador from Washington and insisted that the Ambassador of the United States must leave Minsk.[1]
According to the 2012 U.S. Global Leadership Report, only 20% ofBelarusians approve of U.S. leadership, with 30% disapproving and 50% uncertain, the fourth-lowest rating for any surveyed country inEurope.[2]
On 25 December 1991, the United States recognized the independence of the Republic of Belarus, and on 28 December, Belarus and the United States established diplomatic relations. On 31 January 1992, the U.S. Embassy was officially opened in Minsk. In 1993, the embassy of Belarus was opened in Washington.[3]Prime Minister of BelarusVyacheslav Kebich received visiting U.S. Secretary of StateWarren Christopher on 26 October 1993, promising new presidential elections.[4]
On 15 January 1994, U.S. PresidentBill Clinton visited Minsk on a 6-hourstate visit, following a recent visit toMoscow and acting as a preceding a visit toSwitzerland. It was considered to be a "thank you" visit after Belarus agreed to transfer their Soviet nuclear stockpile to Russia. He was received by ChairmanStanislav Shushkevich atMinsk National Airport, after which Clinton laid a wreath onVictory Square and met with youth in theAcademy of Sciences, as well as visitedKurapaty (wooded area on the outskirts of Minsk where a vast number of people were executed during theGreat Purge by theNKVD).[5][6][7] Clinton, as well as First LadyHillary Clinton and their daughterChelsea, also met children suffering from illnesses during a visit to Pediatric Hospital No. 4.[8]
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TheUnited States has encouraged Belarus to conclude and adhere to agreements with theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) on the program of macroeconomic stabilization and related reform measures, as well as to undertake increased privatization and to create a favorable climate for business and investment. Although there has been some American direct private investment in Belarus, its development has been relatively slow given the uncertain pace of reform.
An Overseas Private Investment Corporation agreement was signed in June 1992 but has been suspended since 1995 because Belarus did not fulfill its obligations under the agreement. Belarus is eligible forExport-Import Bank short-term financinginsurance for U.S. investments, but because of the adverse business climate, no projects have been initiated.
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In early September 2001, theUnited States condemned Belarus for having irregularities in the recent election, causingAlexander Lukashenko to be re-elected. However, this criticism was short lived, as the United States came under theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks two days later.
DuringOperation Iraqi Freedom, several American intelligence agencies accused Belarus of providing asafe haven for the deposed leader,Saddam Hussein, and his sons,Uday andQusay. The only evidence that was presented was a cargo flight from theIraqi capital ofBaghdad to the Belarusian capital ofMinsk, documentation of which was found after the capture of the Baghdad airport in April 2003.[9] While some sources said that Lukashenko was close to Saddam and Saddam had thought about leaving Iraq to go to Belarus, Saddam was found in Iraq in December 2003 and his sons were killed in Iraq a few months earlier. In 2011David J. Kramer claimed that Lukashenko handed out Belarusian passports to sons of Saddam Hussein.[10]
Belarus-U.S. relations were further strained afterCongress unanimously passed theBelarus Democracy Act of 2004, which the Belarusian government believes interferes with Belarusian internal affairs.
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Following the2006 Belarusian presidential election, US introduced sanctions against Belarus individuals and companies for "the actions and policies... to undermine Belarus' democratic processes or institutions, manifested most recently in the fundamentally undemocratic March 2006 elections, to commit human rights abuses related to political repression, including detentions and disappearances, and to engage in public corruption including by diverting or misusing Belarusian public assets or by misusing public authority."[11] The assets of said persons and companies in the US are frozen and transactions with them are prohibited.
In 2008, as retaliation for sanctions imposed onBelneftekhim, Belarus expelled American diplomats, reducing the American embassy staff from 35 to four individuals.[12] In response, only six Belarusian diplomats were permitted to remain in the USA.[13]
In November 2010, Secretary of StateHillary Clinton met with Belarusian Foreign MinisterSergei Martynov in Kazakhstan. They reached an agreement for Belarus to dispose of its highlyenriched uranium by 2012, in exchange for U.S. assistance in developing a new nuclear reactor fueled by low-enriched uranium.[14] However, this deal was suspended following the2010 Belarusian elections and subsequent sanctions.[15]
Thesanctions list, as of January 2017, contains the following persons:
The list of the companies sanctioned includesBelshina,Belneftekhim, Polotsk-Steklovolokno,Grodno Azot,Naftan and others.[16]
One of the few bilateral events during this period in relations was the visit to Minsk by theUnited States Air Forces in Europe Band in May 2015, where they performed at theBrest Fortress and the2015 Minsk Victory Day Parade in honor of the 70th anniversary of the defeat of Nazism.[17]
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On August 29, 2019, National Security AdviserJohn Bolton met with Lukashenko in Minsk to discuss improving relations between the two countries.[18] On 1 February 2020, U.S. Secretary of StateMike Pompeo visited Belarus for the first time in 26 years, to offer American aid after Russian decision to cut off energy supplies.[19] In July 2020, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Oleg Kravchenko was appointed Belarusian Ambassador to the United States.[20]
In August 2020, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said security forces had arrested "a number of" U.S. citizens, just days before the country went to the polls for apresidential election. In the speech, Lukashenko claimed Belarus was the victim of a "hybrid war", and that "we should expect dirty tricks from any side".[21]
In the aftermath of the2020 Presidential elections, Secretary Pompeo voiced his deep concerns about how the election was "Not free and fair". In addition, he urged theBelarusian security forces to respect their citizens right to peacefully assemble, refrain from using force, and release persons who were wrongfully detained.[22]
In May 2021 theUnited States and other countries denounced Belarus' authorities forcingRyanair Flight 4978 to land in Belarus' territory.[23][24][25][26][27][28] In October, Belarus forced the closure of the U.S. Embassy’sPublic Diplomacy andUSAID offices.[29]
On 28 February 2022, the United States suspended its embassy in Belarus following intelligence fromUkraine that the country was preparing to join with its allyRussia ininvading Ukraine.[30]
In June 2025, US envoyKeith Kellogg met with Alexander Lukashenko to discuss relations between the US and Belarus and the resolution of the Russo-Ukrainian War.[31] In September, Belarus released 52 political prisoners and the US lifted some sanctions on Belarusianflag carrier,Belavia.[32] Belarus invited the U.S. to observe conduct of theZapad 2025 exercise; in response, two American military observers attended.[33]
Belarus — United States trade volume (million USD, according toBelstat):[34]
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Largest export positions of Belarus (2017, according toBelstat):[35]
Largest export positions of USA (2017, according toBelstat):[36]
The Embassy of Belarus in Washington, D.C. is located at 1619 New Hampshire Avenue,Northwest, Washington, D.C., in theDupont Circle neighborhood.[37] The embassy also operates aConsulate-General inNew York City.[38] The Chargé d'Affaires ad interim isPavel Shidlovsky.[39]
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