NextFin news, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko offered on Thursday in Minsk to release political prisoners in exchange for the United States accepting them, signaling a potential diplomatic breakthrough between the two countries.
During a meeting with U.S. presidential envoy John Cole, Lukashenko suggested a "global deal" to address the issue of political prisoners, stating that if U.S. President Donald Trump insists on taking the released prisoners into his care, Belarus is ready to negotiate such an agreement.
Following this proposal, Belarus released 52 prisoners of various nationalities who crossed into Lithuania on the same day. Among those freed were six Lithuanian nationals, as well as citizens from the United Kingdom, Latvia, Poland, Germany, and France. The Belarusian president's press service confirmed that Lukashenko pardoned 14 foreign nationals convicted of espionage, extremism, terrorism, and other crimes.
Notable pardoned individuals include Nikolai Statkevich, a former Belarusian presidential candidate sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2021, and Igor Losik, founder of the Telegram channel "Belarus of the Brain."
At the meeting in Minsk, U.S. envoy John Cole also announced plans for the United States to restore its embassy in Belarus, describing it as a matter of the near future.
Additionally, President Trump sent a symbolic gift to Lukashenko through Cole—a pair of cufflinks engraved with the image of the White House, which Lukashenko received with curiosity and a smile.
The developments mark a significant moment in Belarus-U.S. relations, with the prisoner release and diplomatic engagement occurring on Thursday, September 11, 2025, in Minsk, Belarus.
Sources: Reuters, PravdaReport, BelTA
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