Belarusian state media said President Alexander Lukashenko met U.S. special envoy Keith Kellogg in Minsk on 21 June, marking the highest-ranking American visit to Belarus in five years. The retired lieutenant general, tapped by President Donald Trump to handle the Ukraine portfolio, discussed global security and bilateral ties with Lukashenko, a meeting he views as a possible springboard for reviving negotiations to end Russia’s war against Ukraine. Kellogg’s stop in Minsk followed days of advance notice from Washington sources who described the trip as an attempt to give fresh impetus to long-stalled peace efforts. The encounter comes amid Belarus’s continued support for Moscow, underscoring the challenge of enlisting Minsk in any future settlement. On 9 July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy travelled to Rome for the Ukraine Recovery Conference and held separate talks with Kellogg and Pope Leo XIV. The pontiff reiterated the Vatican’s readiness to host Russian and Ukrainian delegations for direct talks and raised humanitarian issues, including the return of thousands of Ukrainian children taken to Russia. Zelenskyy publicly welcomed the offer, while Moscow has yet to respond. Kellogg’s diplomacy moved to Kyiv on 14 July, where he began a week-long visit and conferred again with Zelenskyy. Ukrainian officials said discussions focused on bolstering air defences, joint weapons production and tighter sanctions on Russia, following Trump’s announcement of additional Patriot missile batteries for Ukraine, funded with European support. The envoy’s shuttle between Minsk, Rome and Kyiv signals a renewed U.S. push to test diplomatic openings on multiple fronts. Whether Lukashenko’s engagement, the Vatican’s mediation offer and U.S. military backing can translate into substantive peace talks now hinges on Moscow’s reaction and Kyiv’s security requirements.