Zelensky Cancels Visit to Belarus

Ukraine has canceled the planned visit of President Volodymyr Zelensky to Belarus in October and his participation in a regional conference between the two countries, which was set to take place in Grodno. This information was reported by korrespondent.net, citing Igor Sokol, the Belarusian ambassador in Ukraine.

According to him, invitations for the conference were sent in July to all regional heads in Ukraine on behalf of the Belarusian government. As of August, about half of Ukraine's regions had agreed to participate in the conference.

During the conference, Zelensky's official visit to Belarus was also to be discussed. “Literally just a few days ago, the Ukrainian side requested to postpone the conference to 2021. Essentially, joint preparatory work has been canceled. Since the leadership of Ukraine has put relations ‘on hold,’ we will continue to work with regions, cities, village councils, and businesses,” the ambassador stated.

He also noted that the decision made by Ukraine affects primarily the economies and interregional connections of both countries.