A U.S. State Department worker was personally active in a “special operation” to release an American and 2 political prisoners from Minsk, writes “The fresh York Times”, citing their sources. Chris Smith besides met Alexander Lukashenko in the Belarusian capital and Head of KGB Ivan Tertle.
After talking to them, he said that Lukashenko had stated that he could release the future agreement “many political prisoners”, including those known to the public, and alleviate home repression. In consequence to this move, the U.S. would lift any sanctions, for example against Belarusian banks and fertilizer exports, say the interviewers “The fresh York Times”.
Another nonsubjective of possible agreement is to give Lukashenko "a respite outside Russia's orbit". The American diary besides notes that Smith began negotiations with U.S. allies to mitigate sanctions against Belarus as early as 2024.
Belarus is “part of a wider American approach to Russia” said Piotr Krawczyk, erstwhile head of the Polish Intelligence Agency, who worked with Donald Trump's first administration to weaken the Kremlin's influence on Lukashenko. According to him, an agreement with Belarus could give the United States an additional leverage on Russia and show it that "should pay more attention to American arguments".
On 12 February, the Belarusian authorities freed an independent writer Radio Free Europe Andrej Kuznieczyk, activist Alena Mowszuk and a U.S. citizen whose name is unknown. According to the leader of the Belarusian opposition Swiatlana Cichanouska, all 3 went to Vilnius with the aid of representatives of the American embassy.
