The White House proposed appointing John Cole as the U.S. special envoy for hostage affairs

The publication Radio Svoboda writes that earlier, sources speaking to The Atlantic reported on Donald Trump’s likely approval of the idea of easing U.S. sanctions against Russia in exchange for the release of some Russian political prisoners. According to the publication, Cole brought this proposal to the U.S. president.

The same publication says that Cole has built working relations with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and secured the release of hundreds of Belarusian political prisoners through this scheme. It is his surname that now appears in the list of candidates for government positions that the White House sent to the Senate.

The White House has not officially confirmed the information that Trump approved the idea of exchanging sanctions relief for the release of prisoners. In September, after another round of talks between Cole and Lukashenko, 25 people convicted for political reasons were taken out of Belarus.

In response, the United States lifted sanctions from a number of Belarusian enterprises. In an interview with Radio Svoboda, Cole said he intends to visit Minsk again in October. “If Lukashenko exchanges prisoners for sanctions relief, that works for me”, he told the journalist.

Sources

• Radio Svoboda