'Constructive engagement': Belarus airline granted limited US sanctions relief; first easing of restrictions on Minsk in months

United States lifted certain sanctions on Belarus’ national airline Belavia following the release of prisoners and what Washington described as constructive engagement, US embassy in Vilnius said on Thursday.

"The limited relief package will allow Belavia to service and buy components for its existing fleet, which includes Boeing aircraft," a spokesperson for the embassy told Reuters.

Trump’s special envoy to Belarus, John Coale, was cited as confirming the decision, which marks the first easing of US restrictions on Minsk’s state enterprises in months.

The move comes after Belarus released an unspecified number of detainees, a step long demanded by Western governments.

Belavia, which has been under sanctions due to its alleged role in supporting the Lukashenko government and facilitating the forced landing of a Ryanair flight in 2021, had faced restrictions on leasing and maintaining Western-built planes.

It was not immediately clear how many prisoners were freed, or whether further sanctions relief for other Belarusian state-linked companies would follow.