Meanwhile, in New York, Foreign Minister Makei held at least 10 behind-the-scenes meetings with Western diplomats on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Makei did not tell journalists about the specific content of the talks, but at the same time expressed confidence that these meetings would be fruitful. “There are very good, concrete positive agreements regarding the future prospects,” he emphasized. According to Franak Viačorka, senior adviser to opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the head of Lukashenko's Foreign Ministry suggested that the West "turn the page" during these meetings. Makei hinted that now it is necessary to save Lukashenko from Russia. He asked to lift sanctions on the potash industry and promised to gradually release political prisoners. He also offered Belarus's services as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia. Putin seems to be firmly determined to put pressure on Lukashenko One of the leaders of the democratic opposition, Pavel Latushko, claims that Lukashenko is now bargaining with the West for the release of several hundred political prisoners — but the most famous opposition leaders will not be included. So, there is no talk of a zero option (complete lifting of sanctions and full compliance with the West's requirements). Minsk proposes to exchange some of the political prisoners for the lifting of sanctions only from the potash industry. An agreement of this format should have been an obvious success for the Lukashenko regime. He would have freed the key sector of the Belarusian economy from sanctions, he would feel more confident in relations with Moscow, but at the same time more than a thousand political prisoners would still remain in prison and Lukashenko would continue to rule the country through repression.