The United States will lift sanctions against two Belarusian banks and the Ministry of Finance, as well as against three companies producing potash. This was announced by John Coale, the US President’s special envoy, after negotiations with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. In return, Minsk released 250 political prisoners on Thursday, the US Embassy in Lithuania said. TASR informs about it based on the reports of AFP, Reuters and BelTA agencies.
“The United States is lifting sanctions against Belinvestbank, Rozvojova Banka and the Treasury Department,” Coale said on the X Network.
Cancellation of sanctions
The US has also decided to remove two potash-producing companies, the Belarusian Potash Company and Belaruskali, from all sanctions lists, he said.
Washington imposed sanctions on these potash-producing firms in 2021 for the rigged presidential election held on August 9, 2020 and the subsequent violent suppression of peaceful protests. Potash is a key export item for Belarus, which before the imposition of sanctions made up approximately eight percent of total exports.
Release of political prisoners
According to Coale, the release of 250 political prisoners is “an important humanitarian milestone and proof of the President’s (Donald Trump) commitment to direct diplomacy without concessions.” In this context, the envoy emphasized the “key role” of Lithuania, where 15 released prisoners will go.
The Belarusian news portal Naša Niva reported that Belsat TV channel journalist Kaciaryna Andrejevova Bachvalova was among those released, who was detained in Minsk in November 2020 together with her colleague Darya Chultsova for streaming a rally of opposition supporters. Blogger Eduard Paľchys, human rights activist Nasta Lojka and Mikita Zalataroj, who was sentenced to five years in a prison colony in 2021 at the age of 16 for participating in “mass riots”, were also released.
Lukashenko and bilateral relations
After meeting with Lukashenko, Coale said they discussed his possible trip to the US and a number of issues related to bilateral relations. They also talked about the war in Iran and Ukraine, the situation in Venezuela and other regions of the world, and the reopening of the American embassy in Minsk.
John Coale has been Trump’s special envoy to Belarus since November 2025. After his previous visit in December, 123 political prisoners were released, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Białacki. According to the estimates of the human rights organization Viasna, there are still more than 1,100 political prisoners in Belarusian prisons and penal colonies.
