Tusk said that, in addition to Poczobut, Polish authorities secured the release of a Polish cleric, Grzegorz Gaweł, and a Belarusian citizen who had worked with Polish security services.
He did not disclose the Belarusian's identity, citing his request for privacy.
The exchange, carried out at the Polish-Belarusian border, involved a "five-for-five" swap, under which authorities in Minsk released three Polish citizens and two Moldovan nationals, according to earlier reports.
Tusk said the deal would not have been possible without the involvement of Poland's intelligence agencies, including the Foreign Intelligence Agency (AW) and the Internal Security Agency (ABW), as well as the work of intelligence coordinator Tomasz Siemoniak.
He also highlighted the role of international partners, particularly the United States, as well as Romania and Moldova, and Polish diplomats.
"We have finally achieved what we have been working toward for the past two years," Tusk told a news conference, adding that the exchange was made possible in part because individuals important to Belarus and its allies were being held in Polish custody.
He said some of those detained in Poland faced allegations over actions against Romania and Moldova, and that Warsaw had to persuade those countries to take part in the exchange.
"These are very complex matters, but we were able to build a package of five individuals for the exchange, which made it possible for Andrzej Poczobut to return to Poland," Tusk said.
The prime minister said the operation had come close to success several times in the past, but had previously fallen through at the last moment.
"This time, thanks to the efforts of many people, we were able to bring it to a successful conclusion," he said. "Everyone involved can count on my sincere gratitude."
US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Belarus, John Coale, told Poland's PAP news agency that Poczobut had long been a priority for Washington, following a request from Trump after talks with Polish President Karol Nawrocki in September 2025.
Coale said the latest deal did not involve easing sanctions on Belarus and credited persistent diplomacy and engagement with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
He added that multiple countries and institutions were involved in the effort.
Separately, Romania’s president said intelligence services from Romania, the Czech Republic and Hungary also took part in the operation, the PAP news agency reported.
Coale said his broader goal is to see Belarus release all political prisoners and move closer to the international community. He added that a potential visit by Lukashenko to the United States has been discussed but no decision has been made.
Opposition lawmakers in Poland welcomed Poczobut’s release but criticized the government for not securing it earlier, arguing that a previous opportunity may have been missed.
(gs)
Source: IAR, PAP