On May 10, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media that five foreign nationals - three Polish and two Moldovan prisoners - had been released from detention in Belarus and Russia. In his message on Truth Social, Trump credited special envoy John Coale with facilitating the releases and publicly thanked Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko for his "cooperation and friendship."
The post also referred to the release of Andrzej Poczobut, a Polish-Belarusian journalist and activist, from a Belarusian prison. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had previously announced Poczobut's release, saying it was part of a prisoner exchange that took place on April 28.
Trump's social media statement placed those developments in the context of broader actions by Belarus. It noted that President Lukashenko - described in the announcement as an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin - has freed hundreds of detainees over the past two years. The post additionally stated that the pace of such releases has increased during Trump's second term.
The message linked the recent prisoner discharges to changes in U.S. policy, saying that Washington has begun lifting certain sanctions on Belarus in return. The post credited the diplomatic work of the administration's special envoy, while explicitly acknowledging Lukashenko's role.
Context and implications
- The announcement centers on the stated release of five foreign detainees and the previously reported release of an individual involved in a swap.
- Statements by U.S. officials, including the president and a named special envoy, attribute the outcome to diplomatic engagement with Belarusian authorities.
- The post connects the prisoner releases with a change in U.S. sanctions policy toward Belarus.
This account summarizes the information provided in the social media post and related public announcements, without additional claims beyond those statements.