Three prisoners have been released, including another American. The latest news comes from Belarus, a Russian ally where an American citizen was imprisoned. By their request, the captive has requested that his identity not be released.
An American is one of three hostages released from Belarus, the White House has announced. U.S. officials have not released the identity of the hostage because the person wanted to keep their privacy. Adam Boehler, the Envoy for Hostages, said.
Boehler, a critic of Donald Trump, said: “He has made the return of hostages a priority. People respect that.” Boehler didn’t reveal the nationalities or identities of the other detainees released, but he did say that one was a reporter.
Interestingly, this news comes on the same day President Trump had a long telephone conversation with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Belarus, while an independent nation, is allied to Russia, and falls under the “sphere of Russian influence,” as an old Cold War phrase used to describe it. It’s almost certain that if Tsar Vladimir called up Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, and told him to “Jump,” Lukashenko would ask “How high?”
Of course, we have no way to know if it’s true. The timing of the announcement is strange. This is the second American prisoner to be released from Belarus since President Trump’s inauguration.
Anastassia Nuhfer, an American, was released last month from a Belarusian prison. Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, announced her release on Sunday and claimed that she was “taken” under the Biden administration.
Although it wasn’t immediately clear why she had been detained, a former diplomat of high rank in Belarus said that her arrest was linked to the protests taking place in Belarus in 2020. It is unclear what her exact involvement was.
Fox News believes that today’s announcement was part two of a deal in which Nuhfer had been released first.
It’s always good to bring Americans back home. However, the previous administration did not seem to place a lot of importance on this.
Belarus is not only a close ally of Russia, but also resembles Russia differently: Alexander Lukashenko has been able to maintain his grip on power for over 30 years, thanks to highly suspect election results. Belarus is a small Russian satellite that occupies a very tense location, sandwiched neatly between Russia and NATO. This would make it a difficult position for anyone to manage. This would suggest that Lukashenko is not only corrupt but also intelligent.
Another American is on his way home.