Sergey Tikhanovsky, a key Belarusian opposition figure, was among those pardoned

Keith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump's special envoy, has visited Belarus and met with President Alexander Lukashenko. Shortly after the talks, on Saturday, Minsk released 14 prisoners, including a key opposition figure, Sergey Tikhanovsky, who immediately left the country for Lithuania.

Kellogg and Lukashenko met at the presidential palace in Minsk and discussed the relations between the US and Belarus, as well as international agenda, according to Lukashenko's press service. The talks lasted for six and a half hours, according to Minsk.

"You have made a lot of noise in the world with your arrival. But I wonder why. Can't we have a normal dialogue and talk about our affairs - about relations between Belarus and the United States of America," Lukashenko told Kellogg.

The release of the prisoners was first confirmed on X by the US with Kellogg's deputy, John Coale.

"President Trump's strong leadership led to the release of 14 prisoners from Belarus today. Thanks to the Lithuanian government for its cooperation and assistance - they remain a true friend and ally," Coale wrote.

Lukashenko's press secretary, Natalya Eismont, said the president pardoned the prisoners at Trump's request and emphasized that he acted out of "humanitarian considerations, to reunify families."

All 14 individuals are currently in Lithuania, its Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys has confirmed. "The US role in the release has been critical," Budrys wrote on X.

Tikhanovsky's release has been confirmed by his wife, proWestern opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who posted footage of their reunion on social media. Tikhanovsky, an opposition blogger, was barred from running for president in the 2020 Belarus election and ultimately ended up jailed for 18 years for organizing mass rioting and other crimes.

His wife ran in his place, lost to Lukashenko by a wide margin, and left the country soon after. Tikhanovskaya continues to insist that she was the rightful winner, referring to herself as Belarus' "elected president" while engaging with Western governments.

Neither party has released a comprehensive list of the individuals freed from Belarusian jails, and it also remains unclear whether Minsk received anything in return. Belarus says the group mostly consisted of foreign nationals: three Polish, two Latvian, two Japanese, plus Estonian, Swedish, and American citizens.

(RT.com)