An envoy from Washington met with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko in Minsk on Thursday, securing the release of 250 political prisoners in exchange for further sanctions relief. Lukashenko has ruled Belarus for more than three decades – in which time, his regime has taken at least 1,100 political prisoners. In 2020, disputed election results triggered mass civil unrest and a brutal crackdown by authorities. JOIN US ON TELEGRAM Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official .