An envoy from Washington met with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko in Minsk on Thursday, securing the release of 250 political prisoners in exchange for further sanctions relief.
Lukashenko has ruled Belarus for more than three decades – in which time, his regime has taken at least 1,100 political prisoners. In 2020, disputed election results triggered mass civil unrest and a brutal crackdown by authorities.
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In a post on X, US envoy John Coale said he was “on the ground” at the Lithuanian-Belarusian border.
“Today’s release of 250 individuals is a significant humanitarian milestone and a testament to [US President Donald Trump’s] commitment to direct, hard-nosed diplomacy,” he said.
Sanctions relief
In exchange, Washington agreed to ease US sanctions on the Belarusian financial sector – including Belinvestbank, one of the country’s largest state-owned banks.
The US will also lift all remaining sanctions on Belarusian potash companies Belaruskali, Belarusian Potash Company and Agrorozkvit.
Potash, which can be mined or manufactured, is primarily used as fertilizer for agricultural purposes. The US-Israeli war against Iran, which has sent oil prices rocketing, is also severely disrupting fertilizer markets, according to Reuters.
Political prisoners
Reuters, citing the US embassy in Vilnius, reported that 15 of the 250 released prisoners were sent to Lithuania. The majority remain in Belarus.
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US Envoy Meets Belarus Leader Over Prisoner Releases
President Donald Trump has sought a rapprochement with Minsk since taking office last year, easing sanctions on the country and welcoming it to his “Board of Peace”.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to our Lithuanian partners for their pivotal role in this mission,” Coale said.
Relations between the US and Belarus have been softening for some time. Although 250 is by far the largest number of political prisoners to have been released, Coale secured a number of smaller releases last year.
In the wake of Coale and Lukashenko’s meeting, Belarusian state media reported that re-opening the US embassy in Minsk and a possible bilateral meeting between Lukashenko and Trump were also on the agenda, according to TVP World.
Lukashenko is among the very few world leaders to accept an invitation to serve on Trump’s Board of Peace.
However, it is not clear that Belarusian prisons are emptier of political prisoners than they were a year ago.
Despite the much-publicized, US-brokered releases, human rights activists identified 490 new political prisoners in the Kremlin-allied country in 2025.