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Trump's Envoy Says 'great Progress' in Reconciling Belarus With Lithuania
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 19, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 19, 2026
Quick Summary
U.S. envoy John Coale hailed “great progress” in resolving frictions between Belarus and Lithuania after talks with Lukashenko, leading to the release of 250 political prisoners and partial U.S. sanctions relief, amid longstanding border and smuggling tensions.
Trump's Envoy Marks Progress in Reconciliation Between Belarus and Lithuania
Diplomatic Efforts and Developments in Belarus-Lithuania Relations
By Andrius Sytas
Background of the Belarus-Lithuania Tensions
VILNIUS, March 19 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy John Coale said on Thursday he was "getting great progress" in reconciling Russian ally Belarus with its neighbour Lithuania, a NATO and European Union member.
The two countries' relationship has been deteriorating since 2020 when Lithuania sided with protesters in Minsk after President Alexander Lukashenko declared himself the winner of Belarus' contested presidential election.
Key Issues Impacting Relations
Lithuania has since accused Minsk of orchestrating a flow of migrants through its borders, encouraging cigarette smugglers using high-altitude balloons that have caused over dozen closures of Vilnius airport and, most recently, seizing hundreds of Lithuanian trucks.
Diplomatic Meetings and Negotiations
Coale said he met with Lithuanian leaders this week "to try and solve some of their problems" with Belarus, and then raised Lithuania's concerns during hours of talks with Lukashenko on Thursday.
Progress Achieved
"I think we're getting great progress with that", he told Reuters after the meeting, which resulted in Lukashenko releasing 250 political prisoners and U.S. removing some of its sanctions.
"Lukashenko understood that these kind of irritants are no good," Coale said.
Specific Issues Addressed
On the issues of cigarette smuggling and truck seizures, "I think that Lukashenko is in the mindset that these are not too important issues, and they're worth giving up," Coale said.
Promises and Future Outlook
In December, Coale said Lukashenko had promised he would stop the balloons flying into Lithuania.
(Reporting by Andrius Sytas in Vilnius; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Key Takeaways
- •A deal brokered by Trump’s envoy John Coale in Minsk resulted in Belarus freeing 250 political prisoners and the easing of U.S. sanctions on Belarusian financial and potash sectors (apnews.com).
- •Tensions between Belarus and Lithuania have intensified since 2020 over Belarus’s support for protesters, migrant and smuggling flows, high-altitude cigarette‑carrying balloons, and the seizure of Lithuanian trucks (apnews.com).
- •Coale described advancements in Minsk as “great progress,” noting Lukashenko’s agreement that smuggling and truck seizures are unnecessary irritants worth abandoning (apnews.com).
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Trump's envoy says 'great progress' in reconciling Belarus with Lithuania
1What progress has been made in reconciling Belarus with Lithuania?
Trump's envoy reported progress after meetings led to the release of 250 political prisoners and some U.S. sanctions being removed.
2Why have Belarus-Lithuania relations deteriorated since 2020?
Relations worsened after Lithuania sided with anti-Lukashenko protesters and accused Belarus of border provocations and smuggling.
3What actions has Belarus taken against Lithuania?
Belarus has been accused of encouraging migrant flows, cigarette smuggling with balloons, and seizing Lithuanian trucks.
4What did President Lukashenko agree to during the talks?
Lukashenko released 250 political prisoners and pledged to stop balloon smuggling into Lithuania.
5What is the role of John Coale regarding Belarus and Lithuania?
John Coale, Trump's envoy, has held talks with both nations to address disputes and promote reconciliation.
