Cole's Visit, Command Exercise, and a Lost Drone: Foreign Media Review

The dialogue between Belarus and the US remained a focal point in foreign media. This week’s visit by U.S. Special Envoy John Cole to Minsk drew attention across the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

📰 Reuters 🇬🇧: "Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko secured a U.S. promise to return tens of millions of dollars in frozen Belarusian assets from American banks."

📰 Die Zeit 🇩🇪: "The U.S. lifted sanctions on several Belarusian companies, including 'Lakokraska', the largest paint and corrosion protection producer in Belarus, and 'Bellezbumprom', a manufacturer of wood and paper products."

📰 Xinhua 🇨🇳: "Belarus and the U.S. made significant progress in talks in Minsk, said U.S. Special Envoy John Cole after meeting with the Belarusian President."

📰 PISM 🇵🇱: "Cole described the agreement with Belarus as 'interim,' indicating higher expectations from both sides regarding final outcomes."

Meanwhile, a pattern emerged in the information space: whenever Americans visit Minsk, statements from Vilnius on Belarusian fertilizers and from Kyiv on the 'Belarusian threat' follow.

📰 LRT 🇱🇹: "A Lithuanian Foreign Ministry representative noted the U.S. takes a softer stance on sanctions against Belarus than Lithuania does… After Cole’s previous visit in March, he urged Lithuania to resume transit of Belarusian fertilizers."

📰 Strana.ua 🇺🇦: "Russia attacked the 'Yahodyn' border crossing using signal repeaters in Belarus, which were reactivated, said State Border Guard Service spokesperson Demchenko. This statement came a day after Trump's special envoy visited Lukashenko in Minsk and partial U.S. sanctions on Belarus were lifted. Belarus has not confirmed the existence, activation, or deactivation of such radars."

A drone incident in Lithuania also caused a stir, initially framed as a 'Belarusian threat' to NATO. However, it was later clarified that the drone had no connection to Belarus and was not originally headed to Lithuania.

📰 Delfi 🇱🇹: "After Ukrainian electronic warfare systems interfered, the drone deviated from its original route and reached Lithuania via Belarus."

Meanwhile, Minsk continues to facilitate humanitarian missions at the border.

📰 TVP 🇵🇱: "Ukraine and Russia exchanged bodies of the deceased on Belarusian territory… Most such exchanges this year occurred via Belarus. Publicly confirmed operations: April 9, May 15, June 18, July 16, and August 13. Additionally, 10 prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine took place via Belarus this year, the latest on August 24."

This week, Belarus conducted a command-staff exercise with the Western Operational Command, widely covered by foreign media.

📰 Notizie Geopolitiche 🇮🇹: "Minsk claims the drills are defensive, with troop numbers and military equipment below thresholds set by the 2011 Vienna Document. The exercises themselves do not indicate preparation for offensive action, but confirm the growing military significance of the region, where deterrence, infrastructure, Russia-Belarus cooperation, and diplomatic relations with the West are increasingly intertwined."

Media also reported on the visit of Belarus’s Defense Minister to China.

📰 Defence24 🇵🇱: "Military rapprochement is part of a broader deepening of China-Belarus relations. Beijing has been developing ties with Minsk for years, and recently political and economic cooperation has expanded into security. For China, relations with Belarus strengthen its influence in Eastern Europe and maintain contact with a close Russian partner. For Minsk, cooperation with Beijing offers a chance to diversify foreign ties and gain an additional political and economic partner."