US discussing ‘grand bargain’ with Russia’s closest ally – NYT

A US senior diplomat has held a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, the New York Times reported on Saturday, adding that the talks could point to better bilateral relations between Washington and Minsk.

On Wednesday, Lukashenko reportedly met with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Christopher W. Smith, who visited the Belarusian capital along with two other US officials to secure the release of three people, including an American citizen, from prison in the post-Soviet state.

It was the first meeting of the Belarusian leader with a senior State Department official in five years, the newspaper noted.

Earlier this week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the release of one American and two other individuals from Belarus to reporters: Journalist Andrey Kuznechyk and activist Alena Maushuk along with a US citizen who wished to remain anonymous were transferred to the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius…