Trump confirms the release of 5 Polish and Moldovan prisoners from Belarus and Russia
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President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that five prisoners from Poland and Moldova have been released from detention in Belarus and Russia following efforts by officials including the US, marking a rare breakthrough in negotiations with the two countries.
The release includes Polish journalist and activist Andrzej Poczobut, whose case has drawn international attention and concern to European leaders, and indicates a possible opening of limited cooperation between Washington and Minsk, as tensions with Russia remain high and wider conflicts continue.
“We just received the release of three Polish and two Moldovan prisoners from Belarusian and Russian detention,” Trump said on Truth Social. “Thanks to my Special Presidential Envoy, John Coale, we were able to push hard to make this release possible.
“My friend, President Karol Nawrocki of Poland, met me last September and asked me to help protect Andrzej Poczobut from a prison in Belarus,” he continued. “Today, Poczobut is free because of our efforts. The United States brings our Allies and Friends.
SECRETARY OF STATE RUBIO HAPPY BELARUS PRISON RELEASE AS IT’S STILL AN EASY NATIONAL ELECTION
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin met during a recent interview, while President Donald Trump was shown separately, as the latest prisoner interviews show exchanges between Washington, Minsk and Moscow. (Vladimir Smirnov/AFP; Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
“Thank you to President Aleksandr Lukashenko for his cooperation and friendship. Very nice!” Trump added.
Poczobut, a columnist for the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza and a prominent member of a minority party in Belarus, was serving an eight-year sentence in a case widely criticized as politically motivated.
He was arrested in 2021 after reporting on pro-democracy protests in Belarus, leading to international condemnation. Poczobut was later awarded the Sakharov Prize, the European Union’s top human rights award.
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Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski speaks at a joint press conference in Warsaw on September 29, 2025, following a meeting of foreign ministers of the Weimar Triangle and Ukraine. (Wojtek Radwanski/AFP)
Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski described Poczobut as both a symbol of the struggle for independence in Belarus and an example of Poland’s commitment to ensuring the return of its citizens.
The exchange was part of a wider series of negotiated prisoner releases with US involvement, reflecting the latest thaw in relations between Washington and Minsk under Trump.
A spokesman for the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the agreement involved a multilateral arrangement, where three people were transferred from Belarus to Poland to receive three sent to another country, and others to be released under separate agreements.
AMERICAN AMONG 3 PRISONERS RELEASED FROM BELARUS
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko listens during a meeting with foreign journalists in Minsk, Belarus, on July 6, 2023. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP)
Those freed included Grzegorz Gawel, a Roman Catholic priest from the Carmelite order in Krakow, and a Belarusian national who had worked with Polish intelligence services, according to Polish officials, who did not identify the person.
Earlier this year, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko approved the release of 250 political prisoners under an agreement with Washington that led to the reduction of American sanctions.
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Belarus, a long-time ally of Russia, has remained aloof from the West for years. Lukashenko, who has been in power for more than three decades, has faced repeated sanctions for human rights abuses and allowing Russian forces to use Belarusian territory during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
