Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko has ordered the release of 250 prisoners as part of a deal with Washington to lift some U.S. sanctions, the latest step in the isolated leader's effort to improve ties with the West. Lukashenko on Thursday pardoned the prisoners after meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Belarus, John Coale. Coale hailed the release as a "significant humanitarian milestone" and a testament to Trump's "commitment to direct, hard-nosed diplomacy."