Trump-backed envoy plan would trade Russian prisoner releases for US sanctions relief
US President Donald Trump has backed a proposal from his envoy John Coale under which Russia would release political prisoners in exchange for the United States easing sanctions and restoring economic ties with Moscow. The strategy is modeled on a Belarus approach Coale previously used, but the Kremlin has rejected the framing, saying Russia has no political prisoners and that sanctions-for-prisoner exchanges are not on the table. Ukrainian officials have pushed back, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying he would try to block any lifting of sanctions until the war ends.
Key points
- Envoy John Coale proposed that Russia release political prisoners in exchange for US sanctions relief and restored economic ties; Trump agreed to the proposal, according to The Atlantic.
- The plan envisions new US business deals on Russian oil, diesel fuel, rare earth minerals and other goods, with the goal of reintegrating Russia into the global economy.
- Coale previously applied a similar model in Belarus, where roughly 500 political prisoners were freed and the US eased sanctions; on September 16 Belarus agreed to release 25 prisoners in exchange for sanctions relief on Lakokraska and Bellesbumprom.
- On September 29 the White House nominated Coale as Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs at ambassador rank; the post requires Senate confirmation.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the framing, saying Russia denies having political prisoners and that easing sanctions in exchange for prisoner releases is not being discussed.
- President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would try to block any lifting of sanctions against Russia until the war ends, arguing that more Russian revenue would mean more resources for the war.
- Critics warn that exchanging prisoner releases for sanctions relief could encourage authoritarian regimes to take more hostages; Ukrainian officials do not expect serious peace talks in the near future.
Why it matters
The proposal reveals a formal US strategy tying sanctions relief to political prisoner releases and signals openness in the White House to large-scale business deals with Moscow — a step that would directly affect Ukraine's leverage over Russian revenue and the war effort. The Kremlin has already rejected the premise, which undercuts a central element of US engagement. The plan also exposes an internal contradiction in US policy: the White House is tightening sanctions legislation while envoys quietly explore easing restrictions and expanding trade with Russia.
What happened
The Atlantic reported on September 29 that US special envoy John Coale had proposed, and President Donald Trump had agreed to, a strategy under which Russia would release political prisoners in exchange for the US easing sanctions and restoring economic ties with Moscow. The initiative is modeled on Coale's earlier work in Belarus, where roughly 500 political prisoners were freed and the US subsequently eased sanctions; on September 16 Belarus agreed to release 25 prisoners in exchange for the lifting of sanctions on Lakokraska and Bellesbumprom, and on September 24 self-proclaimed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed a decree pardoning 15 people, 13 of them convicted on "extremism" charges. Coale plans to coordinate his efforts with Steve Witkoff, Trump's main point of contact with Moscow. On September 29 the White House nominated Coale as Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs at ambassador rank, a position that requires Senate confirmation. The Kremlin rejected the proposal: spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia categorically denies having political prisoners and that easing sanctions in exchange for prisoner releases is not being discussed with the US. President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would try to block any lifting of sanctions against Russia until the war ends.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian-language coverage leads on the headline that the US has proposed easing sanctions in exchange for Russian political prisoners, often emphasizing Trump's personal backing. The proposal is framed as a Ukraine-relevant security issue, with Zelensky's stated intention to block any lifting of sanctions and the argument that Western trade with Russia would strengthen its army placed at the center. Ukrainian outlets highlight the Kremlin's rejection of the framing as evidence that the US approach is misaligned with Moscow and unlikely to deliver results. Ukrainian reporting also stresses that peace talks are not expected in the near future, that some officials place the earliest realistic window in spring, and that Russia is continuing attacks during the negotiations. Several headlines flag the strategy as likely to anger Ukrainians, Europeans, and parts of Congress.
Where reporting differs
Sources differ on three points. First, the Kremlin rejects the framing of the proposal: spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia categorically denies having political prisoners and that easing sanctions in exchange for prisoner releases is not being discussed, directly contradicting the premise of Coale's strategy. Second, sources differ on the number of Belarusian political prisoners released under Coale's approach: some say "hundreds," others specify approximately 500, and one says "dozens." Third, sources differ on Ukraine's expectations for serious peace talks: most say Ukrainian officials do not expect them in the near future, while some add that talks are not expected before spring and that Trump's diplomatic efforts are seen by some participants as ineffective since Putin shows no readiness for concessions.
Background
The US and Europe have imposed sanctions on Russian elites, banks, industry and energy since 2014. Earlier in 2025, Trump temporarily eased some restrictions, allowing Russia to increase fuel sales on the world market; Ukraine condemned the move. Trump also recently signed the Lindsey Graham bill, which gives him authority to impose stricter sanctions on Russia and its trade partners. Coale and other US diplomats previously secured the release of roughly 500 Belarusian political prisoners, followed by US sanctions relief and negotiations on a potash deal; Trump said the previous week the US is negotiating a "large" potash deal with Belarus, and Coale told The Atlantic that Russia is also involved in those talks. Coale's proposal originated from a spring meeting with Russian dissident and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov, co-founder of Novaya Gazeta, who gave Coale a commemorative medal that Reagan had given to Gorbachev along with photographs of Russian activists imprisoned for opposing the war. Steve Witkoff, Trump's main point of contact with Russia, has met Putin at least seven times since the start of the full-scale war but has visited Kyiv only once. According to the Memorial movement, as of September 30 at least 5,729 people were imprisoned for political reasons in Russia and in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine — a figure Memorial calls a minimum estimate.