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

Belarusian authorities have released an imprisoned U.S. citizen, a Belarusian journalist for a U.S.-funded media outlet and an opposition supporter in an apparent attempt to repair ruptured ties with Washington.

Andrey Kuznechyk, a journalist with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was one of those released from a Belarusian prison after more than three years. The released American has not been named publicly.

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,

Belarus has released three people, including an American and a journalist, who had been detained for more than three years, U.S. officials said Wednesday.The name of the American and the alleged offense for which the person was held were not disclosed by the White House.