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U.S. envoys secure release of 14 political prisoners in Belarus, State Department briefing says
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Summary
A U.S. delegation led by Special Presidential Envoy Keith Kellogg and Deputy Special Envoy John Cole secured the release of 14 long-held political prisoners during meetings in Minsk, the State Department said.
Tammy, a State Department spokesperson, said the U.S. delegation that visited Minsk this weekend secured the release of 14 long-held political prisoners from Estonia, Japan, Latvia, Poland, Sweden and Belarus.
"That is the result of what you can do with diplomacy, with envoys, and with a commitment to peace and freedom for people around the world," Tammy said, describing the outcome of meetings led by General Keith Kellogg, special presidential envoy for Ukraine, and deputy special envoy John Cole.
The delegation met with Belarusian leadership to discuss the Russia–Ukraine war and bilateral relations. Tammy said the releases followed talks led by Kellogg on the conflict and by Cole on U.S.–Belarus relations, and she portrayed the outcome as an example of diplomacy producing tangible results.
Reporters asked whether Belarus obtained sanctions relief in exchange for the prisoners' release; Tammy did not provide details on any concessions or changes to sanctions, describing the matter as part of diplomatic discussions and referring further questions to the envoys' offices.
Ending: The spokesperson closed by noting the result as an illustration of diplomatic engagement and offered no additional operational details about any agreement reached in Minsk.
