January 1, Trump Calls Belarus Leader Before Big Putin Meeting

Wyatt’s Take

• Trump reaches out to Belarus before upcoming Putin meeting
• Lukashenko released 16 prisoners after talks
• Putin summit set for Friday in Alaska

President Trump spoke with Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko ahead of a high-stakes meeting with Putin. Their conversation touched on prisoner releases and the Russian leader’s Alaska visit.

Lukashenko has ruled Belarus for decades and openly backs Russia’s moves in Ukraine. He stopped the Wagner group’s advance on Moscow in 2023 and allowed Russia’s army into his country.

“I had a wonderful talk with the highly respected President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko. The purpose of the call was to thank him for the release of 16 prisoners. We are also discussing the release of 1,300 additional prisoners,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

“Our conversation was a very good one. We discussed many topics, including President Putin’s visit to Alaska. I look forward to meeting President Lukashenko in the future. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

The Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska is expected Friday. There’s little public detail about the agenda, but Trump has ruled out bartering away Ukraine land.

If you think American leadership on the world stage matters, keep following our updates as these historic meetings shake up the headlines.

Wyatt Matters

Everyday folks know what’s at stake when world leaders start picking up the phone. People in the heartland want safety, honesty, and leaders who put America first—standing tall, not backing down.

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