The Atlantic: Trump backs plan to ease Russia sanctions for prisoner releases before war's end

US President Donald Trump has approved a proposal to ease sanctions on Russia in exchange for freeing political prisoners, without waiting for the war in Ukraine to end, according to The Atlantic, citing reporting by journalist Simon Shuster.

The plan was put forward by special envoy John Coale, who previously secured the release of roughly 500 political prisoners in Belarus in exchange for sanctions relief. Washington and Minsk are also discussing a large deal to purchase Belarusian potash, which Trump announced last week. Coale says Russia is involved in these talks because European sanctions mean Belarusian potash exports must pass through Russian territory.

The plan aimed at Moscow is still at an early stage and is meant to break the deadlock in US-Russia negotiations. According to Shuster, it would give Vladimir Putin an easy way to signal goodwill and diplomatic progress with Washington without having to halt Russian strikes on Ukraine. In exchange for releasing prisoners, Washington could offer the Kremlin sanctions relief and a return to trade arrangements.

Coale believes such deals could help pave the way to peace, arguing that economic ties tend to produce normalized relations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky does not share that optimism, telling Shuster he would do everything he could to block any move to lift sanctions on Russia before the war ends.

Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya warned that lifting sanctions in exchange for prisoners could simply encourage authorities in Russia and Belarus to seize more hostages, since the West would lose leverage over these regimes by making such deals.

Dmitry Muratov, former editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, suggested Coale try the same Belarus-style approach with the Kremlin, and asked Shuster to introduce him to the envoy. Coale already has a list of Americans held in Russian prisons, and together with Muratov has compiled a separate list of Russian political prisoners, journalists, and others convicted for opposing the war. No specific names or potential US concessions have been disclosed.