The authoritarian leader of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, has pardoned and released 31 Ukrainian citizens who were being held in Belarus, a move Minsk said was part of an agreement reached with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Ukrainian Committee for Prisoner Exchange Coordination confirmed their release on November 22, stating that the civilians had been received from Belarusian authorities.
“Men and women detained in Belarus and sentenced to various terms ranging from two to eleven years are returning to Ukraine,” the committee said on Telegram.
“We express our gratitude to the United States of America and President Donald Trump for their fruitful efforts in returning Ukrainian civilians and military personnel from Belarus and Russia,” it added.
The specific charges for which the prisoners were held have not been clarified.
Ukrainian officials stated that “these are civilian men and women who were detained for their pro-Ukrainian stance, accused of providing help and support to Ukraine.”
Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has authorized several prisoner releases over the past year as he seeks to improve relations with the West.
He hopes that better ties will lead to the easing of Western sanctions, imposed after Belarus cooperated with Russia in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
However, while Minsk tries to create the perception of warming relations with Washington, serious concerns remain following reports of torture and mistreatment of previously released prisoners.
Trump appointed a special envoy for Belarus, tasked with negotiating the release of more prisoners.
The U.S. President, who surprised many by speaking directly to Lukashenko by phone in August, said in September that he believed the Eastern European country would release many of the hundreds of political prisoners it was holding.
“I believe they will release many of the 1,400 prisoners,” Trump told reporters on September 5, adding that it could happen “in the fairly near future.”
