{"id":180889,"date":"2026-03-25T17:36:54","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T14:36:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/180889\/"},"modified":"2026-03-27T11:47:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T08:47:54","slug":"us-envoy-coale-says-he-warned-lukasenka-to-change-behavior-before-belarus-trip","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/180889\/","title":{"rendered":"US envoy Coale says he warned \u0141uka\u0161enka to change behavior before Belarus trip"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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March 25, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> US envoy John Coale, speaking at a conference at the US Capitol earlier this month, said<\/a> he had warned Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka to radically change his behavior if he wanted to be accepted by world leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Referring to developments in Venezuela and Iran, Coale said he told \u0141uka\u0161enka in early March: \u201cLook, you are the only one left at the bad guys\u2019 table, so you\u2019d better watch out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd I really think what we did in Venezuela and what we\u2019ve been doing in Iran scared the hell out of him,\u201d the US diplomat added, commenting on that conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coale made the remarks at the US-UK Transatlantic Conference on Hostage-Taking and Arbitrary Detention, held on March 12 at the US Capitol\u2014a week before his trip to Minsk. During the visit, he secured the release of 250 political prisoners, most of whom were allowed to remain in Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asked what the Belarusian ruler wants from the United States, Coale said he seeks the lifting of sanctions and, after more than 30 years in power, recognition as a global player.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Coale added that \u0141uka\u0161enka still has a long way to go before moving closer to the \u201cgood guys\u2019 table.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said he had told the Belarusian leader directly that he was at the \u201closers\u2019 table\u201d alongside Cuba, Iran and Venezuela. \u201c[Russian President Vladimir] Vladimir Putin is not there [at the losers\u2019 table] because he is not even invited to school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you want to get over here to the good guys\u2019 table, you have to start behaving like a normal country,\u201d Coale said he told \u0141uka\u0161enka. \u201cYou can\u2019t be doing what you are doing. You can\u2019t do the balloons; you can\u2019t keep trucks in your country that everybody is upset about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at the conference, Coale also expressed hope that Belarus would release all political prisoners before the end of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that it took extensive back-and-forth diplomacy to persuade the Belarusian strongman to allow prisoners to remain in the country rather than be forcibly expelled abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event was co-hosted by the McCain Institute\u2019s John McCain Freedom for Political Prisoners Initiative and the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lithuanian president rejects idea of engagement with Minsk<\/h3>\n
March 24, Pozirk. Lithuanian President Gitanas Naus\u0117da rejected the idea of engagement with Minsk during a meeting with John Coale, the US special envoy for Belarus, on March 18. \u201cMy answer was absolutely clear, because we know this neighbor well\u2014specifically …<\/div>\n \n