Trump thanks Belarus' Lukashenko for release of prisoners

HAMILTON, Canada

US President Donald Trump said Friday that he had a "wonderful talk" with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, and thanked him for the release of 16 prisoners.

"I had a wonderful talk with the highly respected President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko. The purpose of the call was to thank him for the release of 16 prisoners," Trump wrote on US social media company Truth Social.

Describing the phone call — his first with Lukashenko since taking office for a second term in January — as "a very good one," Trump said: "We are also discussing the release of 1,300 additional prisoners."

Trump said they discussed "many topics, including President Putin's visit to Alaska," and added that "I look forward to meeting President Lukashenko in the future."

Lukashenko, meanwhile, invited Trump and his family to Minsk, and the invitation was accepted, according to reports from the Belarus state-run BeltA news.

The Belarusian leader previously commented on a possible meeting with Trump, saying that he believes it could be “extremely useful” for the American leader.

“Because, unlike all of you who are running around him (Trump), I would open his eyes to many things, including US-Russian relations, especially on the conflict in Ukraine. And, naturally, about the position of Belarus,” Lukashenko said in an interview with the American magazine Time.