Belarusian authorities and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have confirmed that more than 120 detainees were released from Belarus following a rare diplomatic breakthrough involving the United States.
In a statement on December 13, Zelenskyy said Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, had presented details of a special operation that led to the release of civilians held in Belarus. According to the president, around 100 people are regaining their freedom, including five Ukrainian nationals.
“Thanks to the active role of the United States and the cooperation of our intelligence agencies, around one hundred people are regaining their freedom now, including five Ukrainians. We are helping our American partners so that the relevant support is provided to Ukraine. As needed, the special services of our European neighbors are also involved,” Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy speaks after Ukrainian prisoners were freed
He added that the operation formed part of broader efforts to secure the release of Ukrainians held across the region and pledged to intensify pressure on Russia to free Ukrainian prisoners of war before the end of the year.
“We remember all our people who still remain in Russian captivity. I thank everyone who is helping to bring Ukrainians home!”
Zelenskyy’s announcement came as Belarus confirmed it had freed 123 prisoners following talks in Minsk with a special envoy for United States President Donald Trump.
Among those released were Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski and leading opposition activist Maria Kalesnikava, both long regarded as symbols of resistance to President Alexander Lukashenko’s rule.
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U.S. officials said the release of the prisoners followed an agreement under which Washington would lift sanctions on Belarusian potash, a key fertiliser ingredient and one of the country’s most important exports. Trump’s envoy to Belarus, John Coale, said the decision marked a step towards normalising relations between the two countries.
“Per the instructions of President Trump, we, the United States, will be lifting sanctions on potash,” Coale told reporters in Minsk. He added that further sanctions could be eased as ties improved.
“U.S. Special Envoy John Cole: In line with President Trump’s directives, the United States is lifting sanctions on Belarus potash,” the Belarus Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on X.
The prisoners’ release represents the largest single amnesty by Lukashenko since the United States began engaging his government earlier this year. Western governments had shunned mainly the Belarusian leader following the violent suppression of mass protests after the disputed 2020 presidential election and Minsk’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Belarus frees Nobel winner, top opposition figures
Bialiatski, who co-won the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize for his human rights work, had been jailed since July 2021. Kalesnikava, a key figure in the 2020 protest movement, had been held in prison for years, much of that time in isolation.
Her sister, Tatiana Kolesnikova, confirmed her release after speaking to her by video call, according to the BBC.
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A group of those freed is expected to travel to Vilnius, Lithuania, where crowds are expected to gather outside the U.S. embassy to welcome them.
While the Belarusian releases have been framed in Washington as part of a broader effort to reduce Minsk’s dependence on Moscow, Ukrainian officials have focused on the humanitarian impact on their citizens.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine had helped facilitate the process and would continue working with partners to secure further releases.
“I have instructed the Defence Intelligence and all services represented in our Coordination Headquarters to maximise efforts on the Russian direction so that the release of Ukrainian POWs can take place before the New Year,” he said.
The European Union has not recognised Lukashenko as Belarus’s legitimate president and has maintained its own sanctions regime. EU officials are yet to comment on the U.S. decision to lift restrictions on potash.
In August 2025, Lukashenko told TIME that “Minsk is ready to host three-way talks between Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and Volodymyr Zelensky.”
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Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko with U.S. Special Envoy John Cole. PHOTO/Belarus MFA
