US President Donald Trump’s envoy to Belarus, John Coale, has a difficult enough task, but some progress has been made – many political prisoners have been released, and efforts are underway to normalize Minsk’s relations with neighboring Lithuania, writes Reuters.
On the 18th of March, Coale told the media that significant progress had been made in normalizing relations between Belarus and Lithuania, which is a member of both the European Union and NATO. They escalated after the 2020 protests in Belarus and have continued to deteriorate for various reasons. Lithuania has indicated that Minsk has organized a migration crisis at the EU’s external border, and since last fall, additional tension has been created by weather balloons launched by smugglers, which are used to transport cigarettes. The balloons have regularly forced the closure of Vilnius airport. Also last year, several hundred trucks belonging to Lithuanian companies got stuck in Belarus.
BNN already wrote that in March, Coale and the Belarusian leader managed to agree on the release of another 250 political prisoners, for which the US lifted some sanctions on the export of Belarusian mineral fertilizers, which is a significant source of income for the country.
The US envoy’s actions are also a signal for the normalization of relations between Minsk and Washington, which would allow Belarusians to emerge from international political isolation. Coale confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that the normalization of relations is part of broader negotiations, and described the possible “big deal” as a step closer to the restoration of standard diplomatic and economic cooperation between the countries. “That’s part of the negotiation. Everybody has a goal,” the envoy said, adding that
the US is trying to achieve the release of political prisoners by restoring limited economic cooperation.
Washington has described its cooperation with Minsk as primarily humanitarian, with the release of prisoners as the central focus of diplomatic efforts. Coale explained that his involvement began about a year ago, when he was tasked with securing the release of a detained American, but that it would soon expand into broader negotiations, establishing direct contact with Alexander Lukashenko. At the same time, the envoy is also maintaining contacts with the Belarusian opposition. Coale stressed that he is not condemning either side and is simply trying to secure the release of people.
The US strategy reflects a desire to engage in negotiations without preconditions, as strict demands would only hinder the achievement of a result.
Currently, talks on the resumption of cooperation also include a possible visit by Lukashenko to the White House. Coale said that the Belarusian would like it, and this is being discussed. True, there are many issues where a unified position would be difficult to achieve, including Minsk’s close ties with the aggressor Russia. The US envoy noted that Washington’s strategy reflects Trump’s desire to engage broadly in order to achieve tangible results, and that there need not be complete unanimity on all issues: “President Trump will sit down and talk to anybody… to get success.” Trump published a post on the Truth Social praising the achievements and indicating that he would be happy to meet with Lukashenko.
After the release of political prisoners was achieved, Coale called it a significant humanitarian milestone and proof of Trump’s commitment to direct, assertive diplomacy.
Read also: US diplomacy in Belarus: releases 250 political prisoners, eases sanctions
The post US and Belarus closer to dialogue – prisoners released, considering cooperation appeared first on Baltic News Network.
