The Belarusian government has granted amnesty to 31 Ukrainian citizens in accordance with an agreement reached between President Alexander Lukashenko and US President Donald Trump.
The Belarusian state news agency reported on Saturday (November 22) that Rukashenko’s spokesperson, Natalia Eismont, said, “The president has pardoned 31 Ukrainian citizens who committed criminal offenses on our territory.”
Esmont stated that the amnesty was granted at the request of Ukraine and was “the result of an agreement reached between US President Trump and Belarusian President Lukashenko.” She further pointed out that this move was intended to “create conditions for resolving the armed conflict in the neighboring country,” referring to the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine confirmed via the Coordinating Committee for Prisoner of War Exchange on Telegram that 31 Ukrainian civilians have returned home from Belarus. The committee stated, “These men and women, sentenced to prison terms ranging from two to eleven years by the Belarusian authorities, have now returned to Ukraine.”
The committee also expressed its deep gratitude to the United States, stating, “We express our sincere thanks to the United States and President Trump for their efforts in assisting the rescue of Ukrainian civilians and military personnel from Belarus and Russia.”