Peskov Clarifies the Connection Between Moscow-Minsk Negotiations and the US

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stated that the relations between Moscow and Minsk are an independent direction and are not dependent on Russia's communications with the United States, reports Kommersant.

This comment was made in response to a question regarding any possible link between the recent negotiations between the presidents of Russia and Belarus and the visit of CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Moscow.

“Russian-Belarusian relations are measured purely independently, which is in no way dependent on contacts with the Americans,” Peskov said in an interview with the Vesti news service.

He also noted that special services can maintain connections even during times when diplomatic channels are not functioning. According to the Kremlin representative, such communications should be viewed positively, even though there are always many rumors surrounding them.

Ratcliffe visited Moscow on August 25. According to Axios, during the visit, the CIA Director may have proposed holding a trilateral meeting with the presidents of the US, Russia, and Ukraine.

On August 27, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko arrived in Moscow for a working visit. The following day, he held talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.