US-Belarus deal sees 250 prisoners freed in diplomatic breakthrough

Alexander Lukashenko, the authoritarian president of Belarus who has ruled the country for over three decades , has ordered the release of 250 political prisoners , marking a major step in a negotiated arrangement with the United States aimed at easing sanctions and restoring limited diplomatic engagement.

The move followed a meeting in Minsk with John Coale , representing US President Donald Trump. The deal centers on a phased exchange : Belarus undertakes humanitarian measures, including freeing detainees, while Washington offers calibrated sanctions relief and renewed diplomatic outreach . Coale called the release a “significant humanitarian milestone,” reflecting a strategy of direct diplomacy.

This is the latest in a series of such exchanges. In December, the US eased some sanctions after Belarus freed 123 prisoners , many sent to Ukraine and Lithuania. The current release is the largest under this emerging framework .

Relations between the US and Belarus have long been strained over Lukashenko’s authoritarian rule, human rights abuses, and close ties with Russia , particularly after Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine . Tensions escalated following the 2020 presidential election , widely viewed as rigged, which sparked mass protests and a sweeping crackdown on dissent.

In recent months, Minsk has freed prominent detainees, including Nobel l aureate Ales Bialiatski and opposition figures Siarhei Tsikhanouski , Viktar Babaryka and Maria Kolesnikova , in what analysts see as an effort to reduce isolation and gain economic relief.

Despite these steps, concerns persist. Rights group Viasna says over 1,100 political prisoners remain , highlighting the limited scope of reforms.