decided to change his shoes: the NYT found out why lukashenko pardoned 200 prisoners

The latest pardons of political prisoners in belarus indicate that belarusian dictator alexander lukashenko is trying to reset his relations with the West in order to eventually achieve a relaxation of sanctions. This was reported by The New York Times with reference to analysts, UNN reports .

Details

The publication reminds that in recent months, lukashenko has pardoned more than 200 people imprisoned for participating in anti-government protests in 2020. However, the most prominent protest leaders are still in prison, including Maria Kolesnikova, who became a symbol of resistance to Lukashenka's regime after she tore up her passport to avoid deportation from belarus.

According to analysts, lukashenko will not release Kolesnikova without significant concessions. And such concessions are likely to include the lifting of sanctions.

According to Kolesnikova's sister, Tatiana Khomich, who lives in exile in France, the recent releases are a "deliberate move by the regime" to improve its image and "extract concessions." She urged the West to take advantage of "this rare opportunity," saying that "the moral imperative to save lives justifies flexible approaches, including the possibility of conditional, limited or temporary easing of sanctions.

While it is unlikely that lukashenko will break with russian President vladimir putin, analysts are closely watching the release of the prisoners to see if he is truly willing to re-establish his relationship with the West

Valery Kavalevsky, a belarusian oppositionist living in Washington, D.C., says that repression in Belarus has become part of the system of governance. And the latest "round of pardons is a departure from the norm," he said. According to him, lukashenka's government "is now sending very clear signals to the West.

However, Lukashenka is likely to have a hard time getting the West to ease sanctions against belarus, analysts say, given his repression and support for the war in Ukraine. In particular, there is little chance that sanctions on potassium, the main ingredient in fertilizers and the main source of foreign currency for belarus, will be lifted.

It is noted that Western officials have expressed readiness to possibly ease measures against Belavia, the national carrier. The Baltic states, in particular Lithuania, oppose any easing of sanctions.

Recall

The self-proclaimed president of belarus announced that several dozen nuclear warheads have been imported into the country. He emphasized that these are tactical nuclear weapons, which are 5 times more powerful than the Oreshnik complex.