Ryzhankou Calls Release of Political Prisoners “Minimal Costs” in Talks With US

Reform.news Editorial Team · 1 October 2026, 16:20

https://reform.news/en/ryzhankou-calls-release-of-political-prisoners-minimal-costs-in-talks-with-us/

Belarus is ready to restore military communication channels with NATO if alliance countries show a willingness to reciprocate. Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhankou said this in an interview with TASS on the sidelines of the high-level week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

According to him, Minsk is ready to return to verification mechanisms, early warning measures and other military transparency measures.

“If they are ready to return to some form of verification and early warning, we will not stand in the way. Of course, we will agree to that,” he said.

Ryzhankou said Belarus had not initiated the dismantling of previously existing military communication and notification channels, including those within the OSCE framework and bilateral mechanisms, blaming the West for their breakdown. According to him, restoring such instruments could reduce the risk of military incidents and make the actions of the parties more predictable.

Ryzhankou also said that European countries were once again showing interest in military cooperation with Belarus. According to him, some countries are taking practical steps to return military attachés.

He also said Minsk was trying to maintain communication channels with neighbouring countries, including by inviting foreign representatives to military exercises. Ryzhankou noted that US military attachés attend such events, while representatives of EU countries do not always take up the opportunity.

At the same time, Belarus intends to strengthen the defence capabilities of the Union State and its joint military grouping, as well as develop cooperation within the CSTO.

“We are building relations within the CSTO and the Union State. Because, of course, our own forces are our only support, our main support, but this is the only framework that allows us to avoid getting drawn into these huge, expensive arms races and to rely, among other things, on the resources of our allies. Naturally, we will support them in every possible way and strengthen the defence capabilities of the Union State and the joint military grouping,” Ryzhankou said.

Speaking about relations with the United States, Ryzhankou said Minsk hoped for “normal, good” relations based on mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs.

“We expect what all countries expect in their relations with one another: normal, good relations, where no one interferes in your affairs, where your interests are taken into account, and where equal, mutually respectful relations and cooperation are established in various areas, from politics to trade and the economy. Of course, we expect this from the American side as well. From what we can tell at the moment, the Americans understand these principles,” he said.

According to his statement, one of the factors holding back the development of relations remains the issue of political prisoners, whose release he described as “minimal costs, behind which lies the resolution of fairly serious economic issues.”

“Of course, there are certain irritants that hold them back somewhat. These include prisoners whom they are gradually trying to get released. And the president, generally speaking, does not object to this to a certain extent, because some of these people have already come to terms with their behaviour, while others have served a certain amount of time and understand that it is better not to end up there again. From the standpoint that this contributes to normalising relations, it is even beneficial. And our people will understand this,” he said.

In the interview, Ryzhankou also advocated closer cooperation between Belarus and Russia in establishing new production facilities, saying that the allied countries should not create duplicate enterprises unnecessarily.

“We would like cooperation between the two sides on creating new production facilities to be developed more strongly. If we say that we are the closest allies and partners, then we should do everything to make each side stronger. If there are certain capabilities, established ties, and a production facility and product that is already known for its very high quality and good price, then there is probably no need to create a duplicate production facility with partners who are farther away, across the ocean or somewhere else. This is important because when we try to make everything ourselves, first, we may not be able to carry out such projects, and second, we forget that we are undermining certain economic interests of one another, whereas it should be the other way around,” he said, adding that cooperation in trade and the economy should “increase the strength of each state that is part of the Union State.”

The minister also proposed updating the work of the UN to address new global challenges, including the development of artificial intelligence, and said the approach to EU countries’ representation in international organisations should be reconsidered.