Aleksandr G. Lukashenko, Belarus’s autocratic president and Russia’s closest ally, has taken steps to soften his country’s isolation from the West.

Three detainees in Belarus, including an American, were released amid U.S. diplomatic efforts. Among them was Andrei Kuznechyk, a journalist. This comes as the U.S. attempts to negotiate peace in Ukraine.

Belarusian journalist Andrei Kuznechyk and an unnamed American citizen were among the three prisoners released in Belarus on Wednesday, according to officials. Kuznechyk, who U.S. officials had dubbed a political prisoner,