The United States is seeking to improve relations between Belarus and Lithuania, US special envoy John Coale said after meeting Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, according to the state-run Belarusian news agency BelTA.
Coale made the remarks after being asked about his meeting with Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė earlier this week, during which Lithuanian officials raised concerns about contraband balloons entering from Belarus.
“In working with representatives of Lithuania, we see our goal. We are carrying out a humanitarian mission in this case. We want relations between Belarus and Lithuania to improve,” Coale was quoted as saying by BelTA.
Speaking to Belarusian media, Coale also said preparations are underway for a possible visit by Lukashenko to the United States.
“We talked about, possibly, a trip to the United States by President Lukashenko and will try to arrange it,” he said, adding that US President Donald Trump talks about Lukashenko “as his good friend and a respected world leader”.
Coale also mentioned the possibility of direct personal contact between Lukashenko and Trump, either through a meeting or a phone call.
In addition, efforts are continuing to restore the operations of the US Embassy in Minsk.
Another group of political prisoners released
After Coale’s meeting with Lukashenko, Belarusian opposition media Belsat announced that Minsk released a group of political prisoners, with some of them expected to be transferred to Lithuania.
According to Belsat, the group of released prisoners has already departed Minsk. Initial reports suggest that between 15 and 20 individuals may be brought to Vilnius, while others could be allowed to remain in Belarus.
More than 1,100 people currently detained in the country due to their opposition to the government, according to the human rights group Viasna.
Lukashenko denied the existence of political prisoners during his meeting with Coale, describing them instead as lawbreakers, though he acknowledged that Minsk and Washington have discussed the issue.
The Trump administration has sought warmer relations with Minsk since the start of the president’s second term, easing some sanctions and engaging Belarus diplomatically.
In recent months, Belarus has released dozens of detainees, including prominent opposition figures such as Maria Kalesnikava, Ales Bialiatski, and Mykola Statkevich.
Many of those imprisoned were detained following the disputed 2020 presidential election, which triggered mass protests across Belarus.
Further reading
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
