Polish and Belarusian foreign ministers meet in New York, first at this level since 2016
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski met Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, describing the encounter as a "breakthrough" in bilateral relations. According to Sikorski, the meeting was the first at this level between Poland and Belarus likely since 2016. Topics included the border situation, regional security, and Sikorski's request that Belarus not allow Russia to launch drones and missiles through its territory. Sikorski also announced Poland will soon open a new embassy building in Minsk.
Key points
- Polish FM Radosław Sikorski met Belarusian FM Maxim Ryzhenkov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
- Sikorski said it was the first meeting at this level between Poland and Belarus likely since 2016 and called it a "breakthrough."
- Topics included the border situation and regional security; Sikorski said he asked Belarus not to let Russia launch drones and missiles through its territory.
- Sikorski announced Poland will soon open a new embassy building in Minsk.
- Asked whether the meeting implies recognition of the Lukashenko regime, Sikorski said Poland "recognizes other states, not governments."
- Sikorski cited improved border security and the release of political prisoners including Andrzej Poczobut as enabling better relations.
- Sikorski likened potential normalization of relations to "a snowdrop that may bloom if the weather is favorable."
Why it matters
The meeting is described as the highest-level Poland-Belarus contact in roughly a decade and could mark the beginning of normalization of bilateral ties, including the planned opening of a new Polish embassy in Minsk. It comes amid heightened regional security concerns, including Poland's push to keep Russia from using Belarusian territory to launch drones and missiles, and follows recent prisoner exchanges between Warsaw and Minsk.
What happened
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski met Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. According to Sikorski, it was the first meeting at this level between Poland and Belarus likely since 2016, and he described it as a "breakthrough." The two discussed the situation on the border and regional security. When asked whether he had asked Belarus not to let Russia launch drones and missiles through its territory, Sikorski replied "among other things." He also said Poland will soon open a new embassy building in Minsk. Asked whether the meeting meant Warsaw recognized the Lukashenko regime, Sikorski said Poland "recognizes other states, not governments." He likened potential normalization of relations to "a snowdrop that may bloom if the weather is favorable" and cited improved border security and the release of political prisoners, including Polish-Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut, as factors enabling better ties.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian-language media reporting the meeting focused on Sikorski's characterization of it as a "breakthrough" and his comments on the potential normalization of Poland-Belarus relations. The Ukrainian sources emphasized the security dimension, foregrounding Sikorski's indication that he raised with Ryzhenkov the issue of Russia launching drones and missiles from Belarusian territory.
Background
Andrzej Poczobut, a Polish-Belarusian journalist and Polish-minority activist, was sentenced in 2023 to eight years in prison on charges that Polish authorities and human rights defenders considered politically motivated. He was released on April 28, 2026 as part of a Belarus-Poland prisoner exchange. Poland and the European Union have previously accused the Lukashenko regime of orchestrating migrant flows across the Polish-Belarusian border as hybrid pressure. Poland plans to modernize its border defenses with Russia and Belarus, including installing observation towers with optoelectronic equipment and drone detection systems on the Belarusian direction. Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has stated that repeaters in Belarus used by Russia for drone strikes on Ukraine are also located along the border with Europe. President Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken about preparations for provocations, including a possible ground-operations variant against NATO states.