MINSK, Belarus — The United States has begun steps to unfreeze and return approximately $43 million to $44 million in Belarusian funds held at Citibank, U.S. Special Envoy for Belarus John Coale told Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during talks in Minsk on Tuesday.
Coale said Washington has contacted the bank and formally requested the release of the money. The two sides are now working on a mechanism for returning the funds to Belarus. He said Washington would inform Minsk as soon as it receives a specific response from the bank.
According to Lukashenko, the money represents payment from a company that had been cooperating with Belarus and is linked to potash shipments. On September 11, Lukashenko publicly demanded the return of the funds, describing the issue as a problem that needed to be resolved before broader talks could progress.
Lukashenko said Belarus remains open to discussing any issues with the United States but stressed that both sides must strictly fulfill agreements already reached. He also thanked Coale for addressing his earlier concerns about the frozen funds.
Broader U.S.-Belarus Talks
The meeting between Coale and Lukashenko lasted about three hours and was their first face-to-face meeting in six months. Coale also conveyed greetings from U.S. President Donald Trump and said Trump supports the ongoing work.
The discussions also covered economic relations. Lukashenko said several economic agreements had already been reached and asked Belarusian Prime Minister to provide an update on their implementation.
Coale was appointed special envoy to Belarus in November 2025. Earlier rounds of negotiations contributed to the release of more than 400 detainees, including more than 50 in September 2025 and another 250 in March 2026. In response, Washington eased selected sanctions, including restrictions involving Belavia, Belarus's Finance Ministry and state-owned banks such as Belinvestbank.
Despite the releases, disagreements remain over the status of the detainees. Lukashenko has said Belarus does not legally classify those released as political prisoners, while human rights group Viasna estimates that more than 900 people remain detained on political grounds.
Belarus has also resumed potash fertilizer shipments to the United States following earlier sanctions adjustments.
No new prisoner-release agreement was immediately announced after Tuesday's meeting. Citibank has not publicly commented on the frozen funds, while financial and banking discussions are expected to continue as Washington works out the process for their return.
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