Key facts
- Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski met with Belarusian counterpart Maxim Ryzhenkov at the UN on September 23, 2026.
- The ministers discussed regional security and the border situation between Poland and Belarus.
- Sikorski stated Poland is open to improving relations with its neighbor.
- Sikorski cited a more stable border and the release of political prisoners as reasons for engagement.
- Poland does not recognize the Belarusian government but recognizes the state.
- Belarus has been a key military ally of Russia in its war against Ukraine since 2022.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski met with his Belarusian counterpart Maxim Ryzhenkov at the United Nations on September 23, 2026, to discuss regional security and the border situation between their countries. The meeting occurred amid heightened concerns in Warsaw over potential Russian cross-border aerial incursions and hybrid attacks against NATO territory.
Sikorski justified the meeting, stating it took place on "neutral territory" and that Poland is always willing to improve relations with its neighbor. He noted that a more stable border situation in recent months and the release of political prisoners provided "greater reasons" to "stabilize" relations. However, Sikorski cautioned that Poland recognizes states, not governments, and does not recognize the regime of Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, who declared victory in the widely disputed 2020 presidential election.