Trump envoy for Belarus visits Lithuania to discuss political prisoners

US President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Belarus, John Coale, is visiting Lithuania on Monday and met with Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys, Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry said.

Budrys thanked the Trump administration for its continued efforts to secure the release of political prisoners held by Belarusian authorities.

“The release of political prisoners is an extremely important humanitarian goal,” Budrys said in a statement. “We value the leadership of the United States and its efforts to restore freedom to people who have been unlawfully imprisoned because of their views and civic activities.”

Budrys said Lithuania would continue providing necessary support for US humanitarian efforts and for political prisoners who are released.

He welcomed each release but said the overall number of political prisoners in Belarus remains high and repression of civil society continues.

Budrys also said Belarus remains closely integrated into Russia’s military and security structures, continues to support Russia’s war against Ukraine and contributes to military pressure on the West.

The two officials also discussed challenges posed by irregular migration from Belarus. Budrys said that after a temporary decline at the beginning of the summer, the flow of migrants has begun increasing again, while the scale of secondary migration through Latvia is also growing.

Coale last visited Minsk in March, when Belarus released 250 political prisoners. After that visit, the US envoy urged Lithuania to restore the transit of Belarusian fertilisers and hold a high-level meeting with Minsk.

Independent Belarusian news outlet Zerkalo reported that Coale’s visits this week are aimed at securing the release of another group of prisoners, potentially numbering several hundred people.