A Covert Holiday 

The recent release of political prisoners in Belarus became possible thanks to the consistent and targeted efforts of the United States. These efforts began a year ago under the Biden administration and yielded their first results in February 2025 with the release of both U.S. and Belarusian citizens. That month also marked the first time a senior White House envoy visited the country in five years. In April, Deputy Special Envoy for Ukraine John Coale visited Minsk, and shortly after, political prisoner Yuri Zenkovich—a U.S.-Belarusian dual national—was released. This past weekend, following the visit of U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Keith Kellogg, 14 more individuals were freed: citizens of Belarus, as well as of Poland, Japan, Estonia, Sweden and the U.S.