{"id":126509,"date":"2025-02-15T23:12:13","date_gmt":"2025-02-15T20:12:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/126509\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","slug":"us-diplomat-meets-with-lukasenka-grand-deal-on-political-prisoners-possible-nyt","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/126509\/","title":{"rendered":"US diplomat meets with \u0141uka\u0161enka, grand deal on political prisoners possible \u2013 NYT"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\n Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka playing ice hockey (Minsk, February 15)\n <\/div>\n \n
\n (the website of Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

February 15, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Christopher Smith, US deputy assistant secretary of state, met with Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka and Committee for State Security (KGB) chairman Ivan Tertel during his visit to Minsk on Wednesday, The New York Times<\/em> reports<\/a>, citing unnamed sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The article by Andrew Higgins, the East and Central Europe bureau chief for the American daily, is headlined “A Quick, Quiet Trip to Belarus Signals a Turn in US Policy.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It was Mr. \u0141uka\u0161enka’s first meeting with a senior State Department official in five years, and the start of what could be a highly consequential thawing of frozen relations between the United States and Russia’s closest ally,” the article said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It went on to describe how Smith took the released journalist Andrej Ku\u017anie\u010dyk, protester Alena Ma\u016d\u0161uk and unnamed US citizen out of Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the daily, on Thursday, Smith held a briefing for diplomats in Vilnius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He told them that the next step “is a possible grand bargain under which Mr. \u0141uka\u0161enka would release a slew of political prisoners, including prominent ones,” according to people in attendance. “In return, the United States would relax sanctions on Belarusian banks and exports of potash.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The information was received “on the condition of anonymity”; “the State Department did not respond to questions about those details.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A source familiar with the situation told Pozirk <\/em>that the article is mostly based on real facts, but refrained from further comment as the topic is “exceptionally sensitive.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier, Belarusian opposition leader \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja thanked US President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the State Department for the \u201cjoint efforts\u201d that made the release possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talking to CNN<\/em>, Smith described picking up Ku\u017anie\u010dyk and Ma\u016d\u0161uk in Belarus as a special operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka’s spokeswoman commented on the American’s release by saying it was “not the only request of the new US administration.” “We prefer confidentiality in these matters,” she told Russia’s TASS<\/em>. “All information about the details is in the US State Department and the White House.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There have been no official reports on Smith’s or other US representatives’ meetings with \u0141uka\u0161enka or Tertel. The Belarusian strongman did not make any public appearances on February 12, the day of the visit. His press office reported that he promoted several colonels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Belarus frees RFE\/RL journalist, unnamed US citizen<\/h3>\n
February 12, Pozirk. Belarusian authorities have released former RFE\/RL journalist Andrej Ku\u017anie\u010dyk, protester Alena Ma\u016d\u0161uk and \u201ca US citizen whose name has not been disclosed so far,\u201d opposition leader \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja said on Telegram. \u201cRepresentatives of the US Embassy are …<\/div>\n \n