US-Belarus negotiations. The United States is lifting further sanctions from the Lukashenko regime
It was not specified what actions the Belarusian side would take in exchange for limiting the sanctions, emphasized Reuters, adding that Belarus is a leading producer of potassium salts, a key ingredient in fertilizers. Domestic deposits of this raw material are among the largest in the world. Potash is used, among others, in the production of fertilizers, glass and paints.
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What sanctions is the US lifting on Belarus?
How many political prisoners were released as a result of the negotiations?
What topics were discussed in the negotiations between the US and Belarus?
Who is Trump's special envoy for Belarus?
John Coale, appointed Donald Trump's special envoy for Belarus last month, said that talks on sanctions will continue. — As relations between the two countries normalize, more and more sanctions will be lifted, the U.S. representative said.
US-Belarus negotiations. Donald Trump's envoy mission
John Coale was tasked by the president to negotiate the release of further political prisoners in talks with Lukashenko, Reuters recalled.
The state-owned Belarusian agency BelTA quoted Coale as saying that he had raised many different issues in negotiations with Lukashenko.
— We talked about the war between Ukraine and Russia, about Venezuela, he said. — We talked about the future. On how to move forward on the path to rapprochement between the US and Belarus to normalize relations. This is our goal, emphasized Trump's envoy.
Coale also noted the close relationship between Lukashenko and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in the context of the war in Ukraine. — The president (of Belarus) has a long history of contacts with Putin and is able to advise him. This is very useful in this situation. They are longtime friends and have the necessary relationships to discuss issues like this, Coale said. — Of course, President Putin may accept some advice and not others, he noted.
Belarus released political prisoners
The previous visit of the American delegation, also led by John Coale, took place in September and led to the release of 51 political prisoners, including two Polish citizens. In return, the US lifted sanctions against the Belarusian airline Belavia (Belavia). Since then, the Viasna Human Rights Center has classified 157 more people as political prisoners in Belarus.
On November 26, Reuters reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter, that the Trump administration and the Belarusian authorities are talking about the possible release soon of at least 100 political prisoners held in that country.
Minsk, a close ally of Moscow, has been struggling with isolation in the international arena and sanctions from the West for years, emphasized the AP agency. Lukashenko has ruled the country of 9.5 million people for over three decades. In the meantime, sanctions were repeatedly imposed on the country – both for brutal human rights violations and, among others, for allowing Russia to use the territory of Belarus for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
