Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has released 123 prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski and prominent opposition figure Maria Kalesnikava, following discussions with a representative of U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a statement from the United States.
In exchange, the U.S. has agreed to remove sanctions on Belarusian potash, a crucial component in fertilizers, as Belarus is a major global producer. This prisoner release marks the largest under Lukashenko’s rule since Trump’s administration initiated talks with the long-standing authoritarian leader, who is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Previously isolated by Western nations due to his suppression of dissent and support for Russia’s actions in Ukraine, Lukashenko has now taken this significant step. Among those released are Bialiatski, a co-recipient of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, known for his activism on behalf of political prisoners, including himself after his incarceration in July 2021.
Other prominent figures freed include Kalesnikava, a key figure in the 2020 protests against Lukashenko, and Viktar Babaryka, who was detained while preparing to challenge the president in an election that same year. The whereabouts of the released individuals remain unclear, with past instances seeing them departing Belarus through Lithuania.
The decision to engage with Lukashenko is part of a strategy by U.S. officials to reduce his reliance on Putin’s influence, a move met with skepticism by the Belarusian opposition until now. John Coale, Trump’s envoy, confirmed the lifting of potash sanctions in line with the president’s directives during his visit to Minsk, the capital of Belarus.
Following a violent crackdown on protesters and aiding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Belarus faced sanctions from the U.S., Canada, and the EU. While the U.S. has lifted its restrictions, Canada has announced its sanctions from 2020 will remain in effect. The move is seen as a boost for the Belarusian economy, with exiled opposition leaders expressing gratitude to Trump for the leverage sanctions provided in securing prisoner releases.
Although Lukashenko has previously denied the existence of political prisoners and labeled them as “bandits,” Trump has advocated for their release, referring to them as “hostages.” The U.S. Embassy in Lithuania has pledged to continue diplomatic efforts to free remaining political prisoners in Belarus.
In a bid to end the conflict in Ukraine, Coale emphasized Lukashenko’s potential role, citing his rapport with Putin as beneficial in advising on the crisis. Discussions between the two leaders have also touched on issues in Venezuela, with Lukashenko extending an invitation to President Maduro, whom Trump is urging to step down, to seek refuge in Belarus.
