"Macron's trusted person coming to Minsk" turned out to be a retired ambassador attending the "Minsk Dialogue"

Alexander Lukashenka, May 9, 2026. Photo: Ramil Sitdikov Pool Photo / AP; Emmanuel Macron, Ludovic Marin / AP

Alexander Lukashenka stated on May 29 that, following his phone conversation with the French president on May 24, a "trusted person" of French President Emmanuel Macron would come to Minsk. However, as "Nasha Niva" learned, it will not be a presidential advisor or a state apparatus employee, but a retired diplomat. Moreover, he will come to the "Minsk Dialogue" forum, and this is not his first visit to this conference.

Alexander Lukashenka presented the situation as if the French president had asked him to receive his envoy.

"I say: 'Listen, we're talking — this is practically an open line. What can we talk about? After Yerevan, you didn't come to Moscow, you didn't come to Minsk. What is there to talk about?' He tells me: 'Mr. President, can you receive my trusted person and talk with him, and let him come and report everything to me?'"

Lukashenka, according to him, gave his gracious consent: saying, if Macron himself is afraid to come, then let there be at least a representative.

"Literally in a few days — on Monday or Tuesday (I don't remember) — this person will be here. I don't want to name him. He (Macron. — NN) gave the coordinates. And we (with the trusted person. — NN) will have a serious conversation. This is his person, absolutely trusted, he's in the know. And I will express to him in detail all the existing problems."

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's advisor Dzianis Kuchynski told "Nasha Niva" that he knows who will arrive from France in Minsk this week.

"This is not President Macron's advisor, not his special envoy for Belarus, not an employee of the Élysée Palace or Quai d'Orsay (Ministry of Foreign Affairs — NN). This is a private person — someone who previously held a number of positions, including ambassadorial ones."

Kuchynski did not name the envoy.

"Lukashenka wants to pass off wishful thinking as reality — to sell the illusion of escaping European isolation. In reality, his relations with Europe remain exclusively at a technical level," believes Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's advisor. "The position of France and the EU regarding Belarus remains unchanged. President Macron made it clear to Lukashenka what he needs to do to begin normalizing relations with Europe. President Zelensky also sends a clear signal. First of all, he needs to talk with his own society. And, of course, stop the repression, complicity in the war, and attacks against neighbors," says Kuchynski.

Kuchynski emphasized that the guest from Paris will arrive in Minsk in the format of participating in the forum that will take place there.

Earlier, it was reported that on February 5-6 this year, Brice Roquefeuil, Director of the Continental Europe Department of the Main Department for Political Affairs and Security of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visited Minsk. The visit took place at the invitation of the Belarusian side.

The French representative met with Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Ihar Sakrat, and also held "consultations with representatives of the Belarusian expert and analytical community."

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