Łukašenka admits discussing political prisoners in call with Trump

August 22, Pozirk. Alaksandar Łukašenka has told journalists today that he discussed jailed dissidents in a phone call with US President Donald Trump one week ago, stressing that exiled opposition is not part of these talks.
The Belarusian ruler indicated that Minsk has no plan for handling a mass release of political prisoners and suggested the United States should “take” them.
“Do you want one and a half or two thousand [people] as they count there? Take them to your country,” the state-run media quoted him as saying. “[Westerners cannot] expect that we will release thugs who burned and blew things up. . . We will release them, and they will wage war against us again? Society won’t support me.”
According to Trump’s earlier statement, the purpose of the August 15 call was to thank Łukašenka for freeing 16 prisoners recently. “We are also discussing the release of 1,300 additional prisoners. Our conversation was a very good one,” the US president said.
Experts noted that previous Washington contacts with Minsk have always resulted in the release of regime critics.
Belarusian officials say that Minsk has been engaged in talks with Washington since mid-2024. Since then, the Belarusian ruler has pardoned more than 300 imprisoned regime critics.
- Economy, Politics, SocietyNearly 120,000 Belarusians worked in Poland last year, statisticians sayThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security
- PoliticsEU drafts new sanctions against Russia, BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsCichanoŭskaja’s visit does not mean Ukraine recognizes her as president, envoy saysThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Society
- SocietyBelarus records spring 2026 at 1.5 C above normalThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsŁukašenka seeks Russian Supreme Court chief’s help on court technologyThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- Politics, SocietyOfficial: authorities foiled 100 terrorism and extremism financing cases in 2025The material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, PoliticsPolish businessman fined nearly €5 million for selling luxury cars to Russia via BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsIrregular Belarus-Latvia crossings exceed 500 in first week of JuneThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- PoliticsOne in five political prisoners in high-risk category, Viasna saysThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsNobel laureate Bialacki registers foundation in PolandThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsBelarus opens criminal case against exiled rocker over her political stanceThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Society
- SocietyBelarusian, Pole jailed in Poland for cigarette smugglingThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyNumber of Belarusian holders of Lithuanian residence permits falls below 49,000The material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyRussian businessman Mazepin set to build “small fertilizer plant” in BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, PoliticsŁukašenka offers Ghana equipment and trainingThe material is available only to POZIRK+



