Interim Agreement Announced in Minsk
Belarus will release 25 prisoners in exchange for the United States easing sanctions on two companies, US President Donald Trump's envoy John Coale said on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, Coale described the arrangement as an interim agreement and a show of goodwill. He said both sides would continue working to resolve outstanding issues, secure the release of additional prisoners, and remove further sanctions. In a later post on X, Coale said relations between the two countries would keep improving and that more releases were being pursued, adding that the process was not finished.[S1][S2]
Two firms will be dropped from the US sanctions roster: Lakokraska, which makes industrial paints and coatings, and Bellesbumprom, a state-run enterprise covering forestry, pulp, and paper. Their sanctions date back to 2008 and 2023 respectively. Coale further stated that tens of millions of dollars in Belarusian assets frozen in US banks would be unfrozen. Both entities also appear on Ukraine's sanctions list.[S1][S2]
Political Prisoners Remain
After President Alexander Lukashenko cracked down on demonstrations against his 2020 reelection, hundreds of people are still incarcerated in Belarus. Western nations responded by imposing sanctions over his suppression of the opposition. The banned human rights group Viasna puts the number of remaining political prisoners above 900. Charges brought against detainees have included extremism, plotting to seize power, inciting hatred, or insulting the president. Meeting Coale on Tuesday, Lukashenko said no political prisoners exist and dismissed Viasna's figures.[S1]
According to Viasna's count, 889 political prisoners were held in Belarus at the end of August, and 185 of them were deemed especially at risk because of their health, their age, or the conditions of their detention. It is unclear where those freed will be sent, though EU nations, chiefly Lithuania and Poland, typically take them in. In a social media post marking the release, Coale expressed gratitude to Lithuania for its help.[S2]
Broader Deal and Previous Talks
The news came one day after Coale reached Minsk to hold talks with the Lukashenko government, and months after an earlier trip on which he likewise obtained the freedom of prisoners. Reports said Coale had sought the release of 250 detainees during that March visit. In March 2026, Coale indicated a wider arrangement with Minsk might involve easing sanctions and reopening diplomatic ties. Lukashenko said the US had put a big deal on the table. Coale told the Kyiv Independent in March that the aim was to normalize relations and do what normal countries do with one another.[S1][S2]
