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A diplomatic mission led by U.S. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg resulted in the release of 14 political prisoners in Belarus, marking a rare breakthrough in U.S.-Belarus relations and a signal of renewed diplomatic engagement in the region.
Kellogg, who serves as President Donald Trump’s envoy to Ukraine and Russia, met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Saturday in Minsk, becoming the first senior White House official to hold direct talks with the Belarusian leader in more than five years.
The released detainees, who had been held on political charges, were transferred to neighboring Lithuania by car Saturday afternoon, according to The New York Times. Among them was Sergei Tikhanovsky, a prominent dissident and the husband of exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
John Coale, Kellogg’s deputy, credited Trump’s leadership for the breakthrough. Speaking in a video from the U.S. Embassy in Lithuania, Coale said, “President Donald Trump’s strong leadership led to the release of 14 prisoners from Belarus today.” He also thanked Lithuania for its assistance, calling the country “a true friend and ally.”
“This time, we went back and got 14 people from different countries who are now free,” Coale said, recalling the emotional moment when the prisoners were freed. “I opened the door, and they all had their heads down. I said, ‘You’re free, you’re free.’”
He also referenced the earlier release of Youras Ziankovich, a Belarusian-American lawyer detained in Russia on coup-related charges, as part of continued efforts by the Trump administration to secure the freedom of political prisoners abroad.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Smith, who previously visited Belarus in February, joined Kellogg on the trip. Smith had worked on a proposed deal to release political detainees in exchange for a partial easing of U.S. sanctions.
Though the release marked a major diplomatic achievement, hundreds of political prisoners remain detained in Belarus. Viasna, a Belarusian human rights organization, reported that 1,186 political prisoners are still behind bars.
At the start of Saturday’s meeting, Kellogg told Lukashenko, “We live in a very dangerous time, when the crises we face can sharply escalate, grow, if we are not wise and fair.” Lukashenko responded by assuring the U.S. delegation of their safety, saying, “There will be no escalation, not only in Belarus but also around us.”