Trump says US helped secure release of 5 prisoners in Belarus deal, thanks Lukashenko

The release includes Polish journalist and activist Andrzej Poczobut, whose case has drawn international attention and concern from European leaders, and signals a potential opening for limited cooperation between Washington and Minsk, even as tensions with Russia remain high and broader disputes persist.

"We just secured the release of three Polish and two Moldovan prisoners from Belarusian and Russian detention," Trump said on Truth Social. "Thanks to my Special Presidential Envoy, John Coale, we were able to push hard to make this release happen.

"My friend, President Karol Nawrocki of Poland, met with me last September and asked me to help secure Andrzej Poczobut from Belarusian prison," he continued. "Today, Poczobut is free due to our efforts. The United States delivers for our Allies and Friends.

"Thank you to President Aleksandr Lukashenko for his cooperation and friendship. So nice!" Trump added.

Poczobut, a correspondent for the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza and a prominent member of Belarus' Polish minority, had been serving an eight-year sentence in a case widely criticized as politically motivated.

A spokesperson for Poland's Foreign Ministry said the deal involved a multi-country arrangement, with three individuals transferred from Belarus to Poland in exchange for three sent in the opposite direction, alongside others released through separate agreements.

Those freed included Grzegorz Gawel, a Roman Catholic friar from the Carmelite order in Krakow, as well as a Belarusian national who had worked with Polish intelligence services, according to Polish officials, who did not publicly identify the individual.

Belarus, a longtime ally of Russia, has remained largely isolated from the West for years. Lukashenko, who has been in power for more than three decades, has faced repeated sanctions over human rights abuses and for allowing Russian forces to use Belarusian territory during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.