Trump says US envoy helped secure release of 250 political prisoners in Belarus

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that his envoy to Belarus helped secure the release of 250 additional political prisoners following negotiations with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Trump said John Coale led the talks last week that resulted in the latest releases, bringing the total number of prisoners freed since last May to "well over 500."

Sanctions eased

Last Thursday, Lukashenko ordered the release of 250 political prisoners as part of an agreement with Washington that eased certain US sanctions. "The US is lifting sanctions against Belinvestbank, the Development Bank and the Ministry of Finance. The US has also made a decision to remove two Belarusian companies, the Belarusian Potash Company and Belaruskali, from all sanctions lists," Coale said at a media briefing in the capital Minsk.

Trump's statement

"I would like to give my warmest thank you to the President for doing this, and I look forward to being with him at the next Board of Peace meeting!" Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

Regional context

The prisoner releases come amid broader geopolitical shifts following the US-Israeli war with Iran, now in its fifth week, which has killed over 1,350 people in Iran. Belarus, a close Russian ally, has been under Western sanctions for years over human rights abuses following the disputed 2020 presidential election. The prisoner releases and sanctions relief represent a significant diplomatic opening.