Belarus releases 250 prisoners, US agrees sanctions relief, Vilnius embassy says

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attends a meeting with U.S. presidential envoy John Coale in Minsk, Belarus, March 19, 2026. (President of the Republic of Belarus/Handout via REUTERS)

VILNIUS, March 19 (Reuters) - The government of Belarus released 250 prisoners on Thursday in a deal brokered by the United States, with 235 released domestically and 15 people sent to Lithuania, the U.S. embassy in Vilnius said.

Washington meanwhile agreed to sanctions relief for the Belarusian financial sector, including Belinvestbank, and removed all remaining U.S. sanctions on potash companies Belaruskali, Belarusian Potash Company and Agrorozkvit.

The deal comes as U.S. envoy John Coale met on Thursday with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk.



(Reporting by Andrius Sytas, editing by Terje Solsvik)