Belarus will release 25 more prisoners under an interim agreement with the United States, while Washington plans to lift sanctions on two Belarusian companies and pursue broader negotiations.

Belarus agreed to free 25 prisoners after talks between Alexander Lukashenko and US envoy John Coale. The move signals limited thawing in US-Belarus ties, though repression and sanctions disputes remain.

US special envoy John Coale announced that 25 people were released from Belarusian prisons in exchange for the lifting of US sanctions on two Belarusian companies following his talks with the country’s longtime authoritarian leader, Aleksandr Lukashenko.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko used talks with the US envoy to seek wider sanctions relief and access to blocked assets. The outreach follows prisoner release deals but comes amid renewed scrutiny of Belarus's continuing repression.

The U.S. special envoy for Belarus says that the country’s authorities have agreed to release 25 prisoners as part of a deal that includes the lifting of U.S. sanctions against some Belarusian companies.