– You are counting on releasing bandits […]? Will we release them and they will fight against us again? Society will not support me in this matter – said Lukashenko on Friday, quoted by the Belta agency.
The leader of Belarus rejected the idea of talking to the opposition, threatening the American side that he will break the dialogue with Washingtonif he cooperates with his political opponents.
Donald Trump expressed the hope on Sunday that soon the authorities in Minsk would release 1.3 thousand. prisoners, calling Lukashenko a “powerful” leader and “very honorable president of Belarus.” On Friday, leaders conducted a telephone conversation.
“Is in a difficult situation”
“Lukashenko is in a difficult situation,” commented the Friday speech of Belarus leader Franak Wiaczorn, adviser to the leader of the Belarusian opposition of Svetlana Cichawouuska, quoted by the Reuters agency. – If he refuses (request), he will conflict with Trump. If he agrees, he will lose the last and only bargaining card – he added.
In the second half of June, a special envoy of the US President for Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg, said that the American delegation met with the leader of Belarus and his team. As Kellogg added, his collaborator John Coale conducted talks about American-Belarusian bilateral relations and these negotiations led to the release of 14 long-detained political prisoners from six countries, including Japan and Poland.
The spokeswoman for Lukashenko informed that the leader of Belarus, at the request of the US president, allowed the release of 14 prisoners, including Siarhie Cichanuski, the husband of Svetlana Cichamanuska. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that there were three Polish citizens in the group of released political prisoners.
