Trump's special envoy approved Lukashenko's visit to the U.S. and announced the lifting of sanctions
John Cole, the U.S. President’s Special Representative for Belarus, announced during his visit to Minsk on March 19, 2026, that preparations were underway for a possible visit by Alexander Lukashenko to the United States.
Cole’s statement was reported by BELTA.
According to the American diplomat, Donald Trump considers the Belarusian politician “a good friend” and has invited him to attend one of the meetings of the Peace Council in Washington. Cole emphasized that the U.S. administration values Minsk’s perspective on international conflicts, particularly the situation surrounding Iran, as it “differs radically from the Western one.”
In addition to discussing the upcoming visit, John Cole announced a significant easing of sanctions pressure on Belarus. The U.S. is lifting restrictions on key state institutions and enterprises, including:
the Ministry of Finance of Belarus;
Belaruskali and the Belarusian Potash Company;
Belinvestbank and the Development Bank of Belarus.
In response to these steps, the Lukashenko regime released another group of political prisoners. Among those released on March 19 were activist Eduard Palchys, journalist Katerina Andreeva, human rights activist Anastasia Loiko, and several others. The parties also discussed the resumption of full-scale operations at the U.S. Embassy in Minsk, which had been suspended in 2022.
This marks the fourth round of successful negotiations between John Cole and Alexander Lukashenko over the past year. Previous meetings were also accompanied by the release of prisoners in exchange for the lifting of sanctions, particularly regarding the airline “Belavia” and the export of potash fertilizers. Despite the thaw in relations, the Belarusian opposition and international human rights organizations emphasize the need for systemic democratic changes in the country.
Earlier, the U.S. and Lukashenko agreedon the release of more than 250 Belarusian political prisoners.
Belarusian dictator Lukashenko pardoned 123 prisoners, including Belarusian opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova and human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski.
U.S. Special Representative in Minsk John Cole announced Washington’s decision to lift sanctions previously imposed on Belarusian potash.
