Senior US diplomat visits Belarus, three political prisoners released, NYT reports

The Kyiv Independent

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Senior US diplomat visits Belarus, three political prisoners released, NYT reports

U.S. Deputy Assistant State Secretary Christopher W. Smith visited Belarus alongside two other U.S. officials in an unannounced meeting on Feb. 12, the New York Times reported, potentially ending Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's isolation from the West.Belarus has been cut off from the West following Lukashenko's crackdown on the 2020 mass protests in response to what the West denounced as fraudulent election results. Since then, Bela…

EADaily

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NYT: Washington and Minsk plan to conclude a "grand bargain": EADaily

EADaily, February 16th, 2025. A "grand deal" is planned between Washington and Minsk, under which Belarus will release "many political prisoners" and the United States will ease sanctions against the country. This was stated at a meeting of Western diplomats in Vilnius on February 13 by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Smith…

Do Rzeczy

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US State Department official Christopher Smith travelled secretly to Belarus this week, where he met with Alexander Lukashenko and the head of the Belarusian KGB.

echo24.cz

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This week, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Smith and two other U.S. officials met with President Alexander Lukashenko and the head of the Belarusian KGB in Belarus and offered the Belarusians a deal, the New York Times reported. According to the deal, Lukashenko would release “many” political prisoners and the United States would ease sanctions on Belarusian banks and potassium exports in an effort to steer Belarus into “a different o…

currenttime.tv

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The US offers Alexander Lukashenko to release political prisoners in exchange for easing sanctions. The New York Times writes about this. According to the newspaper, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe Chris Smith and two other US officials met in Minsk with Alexander Lukashenko and KGB Chief Ivan Tertel to discuss the terms of the deal. The publication, citing sources, reports that US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe…

mediapool.bg

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On Wednesday, February 12, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko released a US citizen and two Belarusian political prisoners from custody. This could be a preparation for a "grand deal" between Washington and Minsk, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe Chris Smith, who led US policy towards Belarus under Joe Biden, said during a meeting of diplomats in Vilnius. The State Department official personally participated in the "special…