Following the release of U.S. prisoner Youras Ziankovich from Belarus, a senior aide to exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya cautioned the United States against being “fooled” into offering concessions to President Alexander Lukashenko.
Ziankovich, a naturalized American, had been imprisoned in Belarus on charges of plotting to kill Lukashenko and stage a coup. His release was announced ahead of Tsikhanouskaya’s visit to Washington.
While Tsikhanouskaya welcomed Ziankovich’s release and thanked Donald Trump for his efforts, her advisor, Franak Viacorka, warned that it could be a “present” aimed at gaining favor with the U.S. administration. Viacorka argued that concessions should only be considered when all or a majority of political prisoners in Belarus are freed. Tsikhanouskaya says over 1,200 political prisoners remain jailed.
Other exiled opposition figures suggested that Lukashenko’s move is a strategy to re-engage with Washington and potentially ease sanctions. However, they also cautioned that Lukashenko’s dependence on Moscow limits his ability to act independently. The U.S. has not had an ambassador in Belarus since 2008 and has long treated Lukashenko as an international pariah.
