U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania Kara McDonald told Newsmax on Tuesday that U.S. sanctions against Belarus played a decisive role in a U.S.-brokered deal that led to the release of 123 political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, opposition activist Maria Kolesnikova, and an unnamed American citizen.
McDonald described the release on “The Record With Greta Van Susteren” as a rare and emotional moment, crediting sustained U.S. pressure and close coordination with Lithuania for securing the prisoners’ freedom.
“It’s an honor to be part of it and to support it, to watch these people come out, to know that an American citizen is free tonight because of our president, because of this effort,” McDonald said.
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