Donald Trump appointed John Cole as the US special envoy for Belarus
US President Donald Trump nominated attorney John Cole for the position of special envoy on Belarus, expressing gratitude to Alexander Lukashenko for the possible release of additional political prisoners.
John Cole, an attorney already appointed as the deputy special envoy for Ukraine, took an active part in negotiations with the Belarusian authorities. Earlier, Cole managed to secure the release of 14 Belarusian political prisoners, including key figures of the protest movement. According to Trump, Cole aims to free another 50 people, and he is already expressing gratitude to Lukashenko for this decision.
On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump noted that Cole successfully conducted negotiations with Minsk, which previously led to the release of 52 political prisoners in exchange for the lifting of some sanctions on the state carrier “Belavia”. Reportedly, the latest concessions from Washington included easing restrictions for Belarusian aircraft.
Keith Kellogg, Cole’s former supervisor, pointed out that the main goal of the dialogue with Belarus is to ensure open communication channels with Russia, not just the release of political prisoners of the Lukashenko regime. These negotiations are likely to have strategic importance for US relations in the region.
| Name | Position | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| John Cole | Special envoy for Belarus | Release of 100 political prisoners |
| Keith Kellogg | Deputy special envoy for Ukraine | Ensuring communication with Russia |
| Alexander Lukashenko | President of Belarus | Potential release of 50 political prisoners |
