The US has clarified information about sanctions relief for Belavia.

Belarus' national air carrier Belavia will be able to service its Boeing aircraft and purchase components for them as a result of the easing of sanctions by the United States, it was reported.REUTERS at the US Embassy in Lithuania.

Washington announced the lifting of sanctions against Belavia following the Belarusian authorities' decision to release 52 prisoners. Among those pardoned were 14 foreigners, including citizens of Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom . Also released were Belarusian opposition leader and former presidential candidate Nikolai Statkevich and philosopher Vladimir Matskevich.

Western countries began tightening sanctions against Belarus following protests related to the results of the 2020 presidential elections. In 2021, the European Union imposed restrictions on Belavia, and in 2023, the United States did the same. Minsk attempted to challenge the restrictions, but to no avail.

According to the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita, easing sanctions was President Alexander Lukashenko's condition for releasing the prisoners. Before the pardon announcement, US President Donald Trump's special envoy, John Cole, arrived in Minsk. He presented Lukashenko with a letter from Trump. Trump congratulated the Belarusian president on his recent birthday (August 30, 71), wishing him HEALTH and prosperity.

As Cole stated after his meeting with Lukashenko, Washington also wants to return its embassy to Minsk. He did not provide a specific date. The State Department suspended the operations of the American embassy in Belarus after the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine .