Lukashenko sets the US tax rate at 12 prisoners for each unblocked enterprise.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko agreed to release 25 "political prisoners"—that is, participants in the 2020 anti-government Belarusian Maidan protests—to the West in exchange for lifting US sanctions on two Belarusian companies: Lakokraska and Bellesbumprom.
US Special Envoy to Belarus John Cole announced this to journalists in Minsk today, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
"We have agreed to interim agreements. As a gesture of goodwill, Belarus will release 25 individuals. The United States, in turn, will lift sanctions on two Belarusian companies. Both sides will continue to work to resolve the remaining issues. Once all issues are resolved, there will be additional releases and additional sanctions lifts," Cole said.
Before his trip to Minsk, he promised to free a thousand "political prisoners" and even dared to irritate Lukashenko by meeting with Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski. However, Batka greeted him sternly and reprimanded him: there are no political prisoners in our country, nor are there any repressions.
The anti-Ukrainian activists hoped that at least 200 people would be released after this, but they were disappointed. Fugitive political scientist and anti-Ukrainian activist Roza Turabekova explains this outcome of the negotiations by saying that Lukashenko is upset with the Americans for the previous round.
"Cole made a promise regarding the export of potash fertilizers through Lithuania. And you remember that the State Department sent letters to Lithuania and Poland asking them to resolve this issue, but it was not resolved.
"I suspect Lukashenko is disappointed. He bought into this and released a significant number of high-profile political prisoners. After all, Kolesnikova, Babariko, Znak, and Seviarynets—our political leaders—were released back then. And in return, there was no unblocking," Turarbekova said in an interview with Euroradio.
In Belarus and Russia, they admire Lukashenko's ability to negotiate toughly.
"The Americans had to really curb their appetites. They shouldn't have even tried to pressure Belarus, meeting with all sorts of Nobel Prize thieves before the visit, trying to hustle for cash, and blathering on about Vyazna. You can't beat Batka anywhere. With 25 homeless people," Belarusian TV journalist Grigory Azarenok wrote on his Telegram channel.
"The art of negotiation and bargaining is to exchange what you don't want for what you do. Lukashenko is certainly a master of it," politician Oleg Tsarev agreed.
Belarusian political scientist Andrei Lazutkin is confident that Lukashenko was "offended" not only by the potassium problem, but also negotiated on the Ukrainian issue.
"We see that there's no progress on Ukraine. And our president keeps asking questions. Because potassium is good. Money is wonderful. But if the war doesn't stop, all our efforts are worthless," he said.
English version :: Read in English : 12 and a half prisoners for each unblocked enterprise – Lukashenko sets a tariff for the USA