MINSK — Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko hosted U.S. special envoy John Coale for talks in Minsk on March 19, 2026. The discussions included restoring the normal functioning of the U.S. Embassy in Minsk, the release of political prisoners, and sanctions and other economic issues.

The talks were part of Lukashenko's effort to improve relations with Western countries. The U.S. Embassy in Minsk suspended operations in 2022. Belarus has released some political prisoners in recent times to improve relations with Western countries, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Viktar Babaryka, and Maria Kolesnikova.

Western countries have repeatedly imposed sanctions on Belarus for its crackdown on human rights and for allowing Russia to use Belarusian territory in the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. There are currently more than 1,100 political prisoners in Belarus, according to Viasna. Coale said that a possible trip for Lukashenko to the U.S. was discussed.

Belarusian opposition leader in exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said the mission is to help secure the release of political prisoners. "These are innocent people, held illegally by the regime," Tsikhanouskaya said. "This is not an easy task."

"We welcome these efforts," she said. "We see them as humanitarian and very important." She added that the U.S. has sufficient influence to make a difference. "I believe the United States has enough leverage to make a real difference and free them all," she said.

She said that Lukashenko does not keep his word and releases some prisoners while arresting new ones. "At the same time, we must insist on real, systemic change in Belarus — an end to repression and the holding of free and fair elections," she said.

After the 2020 presidential election in Belarus, tens of thousands of people protested in the streets. Protesters viewed the vote as rigged. The 2020 protests were the largest demonstrations in Belarus since its independence following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. In the crackdown following the 2020 protests, tens of thousands of people were detained and many detainees were beaten by police. Prominent opposition figures fled Belarus or were imprisoned following the 2020 election.

Alexander Lukashenko has ruled Belarus for more than three decades. Belarus has a population of 9.5 million.