US President Donald Trump has said that more than 500 political prisoners have been released in Belarus since last year. He credited the development to negotiations carried out by his envoy and the Belarusian leadership.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said his envoy John Coale recently helped secure the release of 250 more detainees after discussions with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
“Last week, my Envoy to Belarus, John Coale, after negotiating with Highly Respected President Alexander Lukashenko, got 250 more Political Prisoners freed! This brings the total Prisoners gracefully released by President Lukashenko to well over 500, since last May,” Trump said.
Talks with Belarus leadership
Trump also thanked Lukashenko for his role in the releases, saying he appreciated the cooperation. “I would like to give my warmest thank you to the President for doing this,” he said, while expressing hope for further engagement in the future.
Earlier, in August 2025, Trump had spoken with Lukashenko and described their conversation as “wonderful.” At the time, he thanked the Belarusian leader for releasing 16 prisoners and said discussions were underway for freeing even more detainees.
“We are also discussing the release of 1,300 additional prisoners,” Trump had said in a previous post, indicating that efforts to secure more releases were ongoing.
Background and global context
Belarus, led by Lukashenko since 1994, has faced heavy sanctions from the United States. The country has often been criticised by Western nations over its political system, and Lukashenko has sometimes been referred to as “Europe’s last dictator.”
The recent prisoner releases come amid broader diplomatic efforts linked to global tensions. Trump had also mentioned discussions involving Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of a planned meeting in Alaska.
Board of Peace initiative
Trump also referred to the Board of Peace, an initiative launched in Davos in January. The platform was originally intended to oversee Gaza’s post-war transition but has since expanded its scope to promote global peace as per ANI reports.
However, the initiative has drawn criticism in some European countries, especially over provisions that could allow Trump to serve as chairman indefinitely.
The reported release of prisoners marks a significant development in US-Belarus engagement. While Trump has credited diplomacy for the progress, broader geopolitical tensions and existing sanctions continue to shape the relationship between the two countries.
(With ANI Inputs)