US President Donald Trump’s envoy John Cole announced during a meeting with Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko in Minsk that sanctions against Belavia Airlines had been lifted.
The United States has officially announced the lifting of sanctions on Belarus’ state-owned Belavia Airlines. The statement was made by US President Donald Trump’s special envoy John Cole during a meeting with President Aleksandr Lukashenko in Minsk.
In his remarks at the meeting, Cole stated:
“I would like to officially announce here that we are lifting the sanctions on Belavia. This is official. I held a meeting with President Trump attended by several dozen people. The decision was taken by the President himself, who said, ‘Do this immediately.’”
Cole further emphasised that the decision had been approved by all relevant ministries and government agencies.
A Step Towards Normalisation
The US envoy underlined Washington’s willingness to normalise relations with Belarus, stressing that lifting sanctions on Belavia was only the beginning. Cole said, “If the right decisions are made regarding those still in detention, much progress can be achieved on the path to normalisation.”
Amnesty Decision from Belarus
Following the meeting, the Belarusian Presidential Press Service announced an amnesty for 14 foreign nationals as an international gesture. According to the statement, those pardoned included:
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6 Lithuanians,
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2 Latvians,
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2 Poles,
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2 Germans,
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1 French citizen, and
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1 British citizen.
The amnesty was granted to foreigners convicted of crimes such as espionage, involvement in extremist or terrorist activities, and was described as being carried out as a “gesture of goodwill and in accordance with humanitarian principles.”
