Aleksandr Lukashenko may have tried to pass it off as a humanitarian gesture on his part, but everyone knows that an amoral tyrant gives nothing away without expecting something in return. And now we know what it is.

In exchange for the release of 52 political prisoners yesterday, the United States has agreed to lift some of the existing sanctions on Belarusian airline Belavia, making it possible for them to obtain parts for their planes . . . among other things.

Those particular sanctions were imposed in 2021, after Belarusian flight controllers ordered a Ryanair jet traveling from Greece to Lithuania to land in Minsk, whereupon police arrested one of the passengers they knew was onboard: journalist Roman Protasevich.

In addition, Lukashenko and U.S. special envoy John Coale, in a meeting held yesterday in Minsk, discussed the possible reestablishment of trade relations between their two countries, including the reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Minsk “in the very near future.” [BBC News, September 11, 2025.]

And Donald Trump has indicated that a face-to-face meeting with Lukashenko — a close ally of Vladimir Putin — might also be in the works.

So it was never about humanitarian considerations; human lives mean nothing to people like Lukashenko. In any event, he still holds more than 1,000 additional prisoners to use as bait. And airplane parts are hardly even worth his consideration.

No . . . what Aleksandr Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin have both gained in the past few weeks is position. Together, they are back in the high-stakes games of international politics and trade — dealing with the United States as equals, and not the pariahs they have been since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago.

And Donald Trump, in his eagerness to exhibit his peacemaking skills to the world, has made it all too easy for them.

Not that we shouldn’t make every effort to get hostages released . . . of course, we should.

It just seems that it oughtn’t be so profitable for the bad guys.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
9/12/25