Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview with journalists of state media in Minsk that the topic of prisoner release was raised in his recent telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump, but “very briefly”.
Earlier, Trump called on the Belarusian authorities to release 1,300 political prisoners, writing in his own social media account. Lukashenko noted that the country has a commission on the appeals of convicts, but he personally makes the decision.
“Do you need one and a half or two thousand? Take them to your place, take them away. Count on us to release the bandits, who smoked, blew up, and they admit it. Will they fight against us again? The public will not support me here,” said Lukashenko.
Lukashenko also assessed Trump’s role in the talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage on 15 August. According to Lukashenko, “no concrete agreements could be reached there,” while the U.S. president “acted as an intermediary to clarify Russia’s position.”
Trump himself said he had a “wonderful conversation” with Lukashenko, where they discussed the release of 1,300 prisoners. Later, he called Lukashenko a “strong leader” and expressed hope for a quick resolution of the issue.