U.S. President Donald Trump said he held a telephone conversation on Friday with Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko, thanking him for the recent release of 16 detainees and discussing the possible liberation of another 1,300 people. Trump described the exchange as “wonderful” and indicated he hopes to meet Lukashenko in person at a later date. Belarusian state media also confirmed the call. Lukashenko—an ally of the Kremlin who has governed Belarus since 1994 and remains under a raft of Western sanctions—announced the pardons last month. Human-rights organisations estimate that Belarus still holds more than 1,000 political prisoners. The outreach comes just hours before Trump is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf in Alaska for talks expected to focus on the war in Ukraine. Trump framed the prisoner discussions as part of broader efforts to reduce regional tensions, but neither Washington nor Minsk released detailed readouts of the call.