Belarusian President Lukashenko has released 123 political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, following an agreement with the US to lift sanctions on potash, an essential product for fertilizers.

Aleksandr Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, has released 123 political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski and opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova, as part of an agreement with the U.S. In exchange for the release, the United States agreed to lift sanctions on potash, an essential product for fertilizers, from Belarus. This represents a significant move in the relations between Lukashenko and the Trump administration, which has begun a dialogue with the authoritarian leader. John Coale, Trump's envoy, mentioned that approximately 1,000 prisoners could be released in the future. Bialiatski emphasized that the fight for human rights continues, while Kolesnikova expressed joy at being free. Additionally, U.S. officials stated that the dialogue with Lukashenko aims to reduce Putin's influence over him. The Belarusian opposition has emphasized that EU sanctions should remain in place to ensure systemic change in Belarus.