Belarus releases 123 prisoners including opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova after US lifts sanctions

Belarus freed 123 prisoners, including Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski and opposition leaders Maria Kalesnikava and Viktar Babaryka, after talks with a US envoy. In exchange, the US agreed to lift sanctions on Belarusian potash, a major export and fertilizer ingredient. The move marks a diplomatic thaw, with the US aiming to reduce Belarus's reliance on Russia, though the Belarusian opposition remains skeptical.