Lukashenko Meets With Trump's Deputy Special Envoy John Cole

• 11.09.2025, 14:05

It was about the release of political prisoners.

Lukashenka met again with the deputy special envoy of US President Donald Trump John Cole and discussed the release of political prisoners. Also, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe Chris Smith came to Minsk.

The conversation lasted about five hours, the press service of Alexander Lukashenko wrote earlier.

The previous visit of Cole to Belarus took place on June 21, 2025, after which Sergei Tikhanovsky and thirteen other political prisoners were released.

At the new meeting between Lukashenko and Cole, he also voiced the issue of the release of political prisoners.

"Listening to Trump recently, I understood that with your suggestion he is probably very concerned about the issues of, as he said, hostages or whatever... Political prisoners and something else. I'm not against it," Lukashenko said.

"We are absolutely not in favor of these people being in penal colonies," he said.

"And if Donald insists that he is ready to take all those released to him, God be with you, let's try to work out a global deal," Alexander Lukashenko said.