Belarus pardoned 31 Ukrainians and will hand them over to Kyiv / The Lukashenko regime did not do this gesture in vain

Russia's ally Belarus has pardoned 31 Ukrainian citizens, state television said on Saturday, the announcement following a deal between President Alexander Lukashenko and his US counterpart Donald Trump, according to France Presse.

Trump encouraged Belarus to release political prisoners during his contacts with Lukashenko, accused of running his country as a dictator for three decades, cracking down on free media and political opposition.

In return, Washington partially lifted sanctions against Belarusian airline Belavia, allowing it to maintain and buy parts for its fleet, which includes Boeing jets.

“The president has pardoned 31 Ukrainian citizens who committed criminal offenses on the territory of our country,” Lukashenko's spokeswoman Natalia Eismont said on state television.

The pardon, which was requested by Ukraine, is the result of “agreements made between US President Donald Trump and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko,” she added.

This measure is aimed at “creating the conditions for the resolution of the armed conflict in the neighboring state,” she added.

The Ukrainians, whose names were not specified, are “currently in the process of being handed over to the Ukrainian authorities,” she stressed.

Belarus routinely charges people who oppose or criticize the government with “extremism” and punish them with heavy prison sentences. It is unclear at this time whether the freed Ukrainians were charged with this crime.

Earlier this fall, Lukashenko, who is trying to improve his image abroad as the country comes under massive Western sanctions, released dozens of political prisoners, including dissidents, journalists and religious figures. According to human rights NGOs, there are still more than 1,000 political prisoners in Belarusian prisons.