Belarus freed 123 prisoners and gained US potash sanctions relief after diplomatic talks.

Belarus has freed 123 prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski and opposition figure Maria Kalesnikava, following a diplomatic agreement with the United States. The US lifted sanctions targeting Belarusian potash exports, a significant move given Belarus’s role as a leading global supplier of this fertilizer component. The release represents the largest prisoner exchange by President Lukashenko since talks with the US began under the Trump administration. Concurrently, Ukraine received 114 prisoners released by Belarus, including Ukrainians accused of intelligence activities and Belarusian political prisoners, underscoring the complex geopolitical dynamics involving Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, and the West.