The Trump administration and Belarus are discussing the possible release of at least 100 political prisoners by Minsk soon, three sources familiar with the matter said, in an ongoing rapprochement between the U.S. and the Russian ally, APA reports, citing Reuters.
While the authoritarian state has freed dozens of detainees in several waves since President Donald Trump took office in January, U.S. officials want to secure the release of well over 100 prisoners in a single deal, the sources said in recent days, requesting anonymity to describe sensitive diplomatic conversations.
In the largest prisoner release to date, Belarus freed 52 people in September. Western human rights organizations say Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's government holds more than 1,000 political detainees, including former presidential candidates and Nobel Prize winners.
It was not clear which prisoners could be freed and precisely when such a release might happen. The White House declined to comment, and the Belarusian embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.
The Trump administration's push for the biggest prisoner release so far is part of its controversial campaign to thaw relations with the authoritarian state in exchange for the prospect of sanctions relief.
Some U.S. officials have told Reuters that the Trump administration's engagement with Belarus is part of a long-term, broader strategy to pull Minsk out of Moscow's geopolitical orbit, if only marginally.
Even a subtle realignment toward the West would represent a strategic victory given that Belarus has long been a consistent irritant for NATO and a stalwart ally of Russia.
Most European countries have kept Minsk at arm's length given Belarus' deep ties with Russia and its poor human rights record. The EU last month tightened its sanctions against Belarus.
Among the key U.S. figures in the talks is John Coale, whom Trump named as special envoy to Belarus earlier this month, the sources said.
In recent months, Trump and his emissaries have spoken directly with Lukashenko, while the U.S. Treasury Department has started to lift some Belarus-related sanctions.
Lukashenko has released prisoners of various nationalities in exchange for those overtures including pardoning 31 Ukrainians over the weekend who were held on various criminal charges.
Lukashenko facilitated Russia's expanded invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and in recent weeks large balloons launched from Belarusian territory have entered Lithuanian airspace, causing that country's major airport to issue groundstops.
In September, the Czech Republic and Poland both expelled Belarusian diplomats for alleged espionage.
The State Department praised Trump's leadership and Coale's efforts but did not comment on any future detainee releases.
"The United States stands ready for additional engagement with Belarus that advances U.S. interests and will continue efforts to free political prisoners in Belarus," a spokesperson said.
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