The humanitarian mission, organized in close cooperation with the Belarusian opposition, became the subject of public discussion after a telephone conversation between Donald Trump and Alexander Lukashenko. The opposition emphasizes: sanctions against the regime must remain in place until real changes occur and all political prisoners are released.
The chief of staff to the leader of the Belarusian opposition, Frantsishak Vyachorka, and the 2020 Belarus presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya expressed their positions. Vyachorka noted that without concrete actions from Minsk authorities, meetings and recognition of Lukashenko should not take place.
The Opposition’s Reaction and the Humanitarian Mission
Our goal is to free all these people
– Frantsishak Vyachorka
In a public comment, he noted that the tone of the conversation between Trump and the Belarusian leader was too cordial, but such rhetoric could pave the way for concrete steps toward freeing political prisoners. He also pointed out that there are still more than a thousand political prisoners in Belarusian prisons.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya stressed via her account that Trump’s call is perceived as a humanitarian mission. She said she had handed the United States lists of political prisoners and emphasized the need not only for their release but also for an end to repression and for creating safe conditions for the return of those who were forced to leave the country.
This is an attempt to save the lives of innocent people and to achieve systemic changes in Belarus. We have already handed over all lists of political prisoners to the United States
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
The Tsikhanouskaya’s office reported a meeting of representatives with Chris Smith of the U.S. State Department, involved in the process of freeing political prisoners. Earlier Tsikhanouskaya sent Trump letters requesting help in freeing the detainees and provided proposals for steps to resolve the political crisis in Belarus.
On August 15, a telephone conversation took place between Donald Trump and Lukashenko. The parties discussed a possible meeting of the American and Russian leaders in Alaska and discussed the release of about 1,300 prisoners. According to Lukashenko, Trump allegedly agreed to visit Minsk.
In the context of the topic of freeing political prisoners in Belarus, at the end of June 2025, the U.S. president’s special envoy for Ukraine visited the country and held meetings with Lukashenko. They discussed Russia’s war against Ukraine and efforts to end it. After this, Sergei Tikhanovsky and another 13 political prisoners were released.
The situation in Belarus continues to attract international attention, with a focus on human rights, humanitarian steps, and opportunities for political change in the country.