Lukashenko pledges Support for Trump‘s “Peace Mission” After Releasing 52 Prisoners
Vilnius, Lithuania – Belarusian president Aleksander Lukashenko stated Thursday that his “main task is to stand at [U.S. President] Donald Trump’s side and helping him in the mission of establishing peace,” following the release of 52 prisoners of various nationalities. The prisoners were handed over to an American delegation in Lithuania after negotiations in Minsk.
The release comes after a meeting between Lukashenko and a U.S. delegation led by John Cale, reportedly representing President Trump. The move signals a potential shift in relations between Belarus and the United States,occurring amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions,notably concerning the war in Ukraine. The released prisoners include citizens from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, France, and Great Britain, with 14 foreigners pardoned by Lukashenko, including two Polish nationals.
Among those freed are prominent Belarusian figures Mikołaj Statkiewicz, a 2010 presidential candidate detained five years ago, and Uladzimir Mackiewicz, a philosopher and social activist arrested in 2021, according to Belarusian news outlet our Niwa. A spokesperson for the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the presence of Polish citizens among those transported to Vilnius. six Lithuanians, two Latvians, two Germans, one French citizen, and one British national were also released.
