President of Belarus Aleksander Lukashenko reshuffled his top officials as part of manoeuvring ahead of the 2025 presidential election, according to Belarusian media.
Lukashenko, who has been ruling the country of 9.5 million people for three decades, announced his intention to run for a seventh term next year. He replaced his chief of staff along with the country’s foreign minister and several other senior officials.
As part of the government changes announced on Thursday, the president appointed Maksim Ryzhankou as the new foreign minister to replace Sergei Aleinik. Some saw Ryzhankou’s appointment as a sign of Lukashenko’s hopes to negotiate sanctions relief. Pavel Latushka, an opposition leader abroad, stated:
Ryzhankou’s task is to try to find instruments and mechanisms to resume a dialogue between Minsk and Western countries, something that Aleinik has failed to accomplish. Lukashenko hopes that the West will have to resume a dialogue with him after his 2025 reelection, and Ryzhankou’s mission is to assist that.
Lukashenko also appointed Belarusian Ambassador to Russia Dmitry Krutoi as the new head of the presidential administration. The president relied on close ties with Russia, with Moscow moving some of its tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus in 2023.
