U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to ease sanctions against Russia in exchange for the release of prisoners, according to The Atlantic. The proposal was made by John Cole, the U.S. president’s envoy to Eastern Europe, who had previously struck a similar deal with the Belarusian authorities.
According to the publication, the envoy’s proposal came after his meeting with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov (who has been designated a “foreign agent” in Russia). The parties discussed creating a mechanism similar to the deal between Washington and Minsk. Mr. Cole has already compiled a list of Americans being held in Russian prisons, while Mr. Muratov (designated as a “foreign agent” in Russia) has compiled a list of convicted Russians who opposed Russia’s military actions in Ukraine.
In parallel with the negotiations on the release of prisoners, Washington plans to discuss trade and business issues with Moscow. These may pertain to oil, diesel fuel, and rare-earth minerals. As The Atlantic notes, yesterday the White House nominated John Cole to serve as the president’s special envoy for hostage affairs. The nomination must now be confirmed by the Senate. Commenting on the decision, the White House stated that it is “committed to playing a constructive role” in ending the conflict in Ukraine.
U.S. authorities have begun easing sanctions against Belarus in exchange for the release of prisoners. In mid-September, Minsk agreed to release 25 prisoners in exchange for the lifting of sanctions against two Belarusian companies, including the potash fertilizer producer “Bellesbumprom.” Donald Trump soon announced a deal with Belarus to purchase fertilizers. According to The Atlantic, Russian representatives participated in the negotiations for the deal. Russia had previously released opposition prisoners as part of exchanges with the West. The largest such exchange took place in August 2024 and involved 26 people.
In the Belarusian case, the exchange of sanctions concessions for the release of prisoners was carried out in stages. In September 2025, the release of 52 people was accompanied by the lifting of sanctions against the airline “Belavia.” Later, following the release of 250 people, the U.S. promised to lift restrictions on key Belarusian banks, the Ministry of Finance, as well as the companies “Belaruskali” and the Belarusian Potash Company. The concessions focused on specific companies and financial institutions in exchange for a certain number of releases.
The economic impact of this easing is limited by sanctions imposed by other parties: as long as the European Union maintains its ban on the transit of Belarusian potash fertilizers through Lithuania, previous export volumes will not be restored quickly. The release of prisoners, in and of itself, does not signify an end to political repression or a change in Belarus’s foreign policy course.
