John Cole: I Look Into The Eyes Of Those Who Have Been Freed And See What Freedom Means To Them
- 19.09.2026, 11:39
The U.S. President's Special Envoy spoke about his future efforts in Belarus.
U.S. President’s Special Envoy John Cole has helped secure the release of hundreds of Belarusian political prisoners over the past two years. This week, thanks to his mediation, 25 people were released in Belarus.
In an interview with a journalist Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Artem Radygin discussed further efforts to secure the release of political prisoners.
– In March, 250 Belarusian political prisoners were released, while last week only 25 were freed. It’s wonderful that 25 people were released from prison, but it’s still very interesting to consider what happened. Why did the number of those released decrease?
– In total, between 800 and 900 prisoners have been released; sometimes 150 people were released at once, and sometimes 14. I release as many people as I can at the moment. It is expected that as part of the latest negotiations, which are still ongoing, we will be able to secure the release of over a hundred more people in the very near future, and we will do so... hopefully in about a month.
– What issues need to be resolved to make this a reality?
– In the past, we lifted certain sanctions to secure people’s release, and now we need to ensure that banks and companies in the United States understand what lifting sanctions means—that is, that it is, in principle, possible to conduct business in this area. We need to revisit this issue and sort a few things out here.
– Svetlana Tikhanovskaya claims that Lukashenko is “selling” prisoners to secure the lifting of sanctions. Does that mean these deals, which lead to the lifting of sanctions, are prompting Lukashenko to arrest as many people as possible so he has something to trade for the easing of sanctions?
– I don’t know... Everyone I talk to cites a different number of people who are currently being arrested. I don’t know what the actual number is. But if Lukashenko is exchanging political prisoners for sanctions relief, that’s fine with me, because I’m the one looking into the eyes of those who’ve been released and seeing what freedom means to them. For me, this is far more important than any political issues that might concern outsiders. My mission—and that of the United States—is a humanitarian one: to help people. If I manage to free 25 people—that’s wonderful. If we manage to free 200—that’s wonderful, too. That’s how we view it. Svetlana may have her own opinion, and I have mine.
– And how does Lukashenko view this? He doesn’t recognize that the people released thanks to your mediation are political prisoners. How did you respond to that?
– I call them political prisoners. If he wants me to call them rabbits, as long as he agrees to release them—go ahead, I don’t care. If he thinks they’re not political prisoners, let him think so. I just know that they’re people. For me, all this terminology really doesn’t matter. It may be important to others, but not to me.
– Do your visits to Belarus have any other goals besides securing the release of political prisoners?
– Yes, of course. It’s not just about political prisoners. Another goal is to ensure that the Belarusian authorities behave better than, in my view, they have behaved toward some of their neighbors, so that we can bring Belarus back into the community of nations. And they agree with that. For the past year and a half, we’ve been making progress literally inch by inch—and I think there has been progress. But Lukashenko remains in power, and he has an ally—Putin—so it’s all quite complicated. But I think it would be better if Belarus maintained good relations with the rest of the world. It seems to me that they are trying to do that.
– What makes you think that Belarus can be successfully reintegrated into the international community?
– They’re trying to do that; everything is moving in that direction. I’m not exactly sure, but we’re making progress. So I think we’re moving in the right direction. Nothing will change overnight—it’s a process. Lukashenko’s main ally is Russia; Belarus is one of the few allies Russia has. They’ll have to figure this out for themselves—it’s not up to me.
– You mentioned earlier that you want to resolve the issue with Belarus first, and then deal with Russia. What will your approach to the Kremlin be?
– I can handle both. I’ll continue what I’m doing in Belarus. In addition, I’ve spoken with Whitcoff and Kushner regarding the exchange of civilian prisoners.
– Has there been any progress on the issue of American citizens currently in Russia?
– It’s not just about American citizens: I’d also like to bring some Russians and Ukrainians back to their countries.
– Lukashenko has said in interviews that he is offering Donald Trump and other leaders his services as a mediator in relations with the Kremlin. Does Donald Trump view Lukashenko as a potential mediator?
– I think, potentially, yes, because Putin and Lukashenko have had a relationship for over 30 years. They’re friends. One is the older brother, the other the younger, but they’re friends and talk to each other—constantly. Lukashenko travels to Moscow quite often. He could be useful as a mediator between the warring parties on issues related to the war.
– Now, when we follow the news about prisoner exchanges, the talk is always about certain sanctions being lifted. Who decides exactly which sanctions are put up for discussion before prisoners are released?
– As for Belarus, I make that decision; then I speak with the Secretary of State or directly with the President, and we follow a specific procedure: John Cole believes we should lift sanctions on this person, that person, and the other, and either that is approved, or I’m told, “We can’t do that, but we can do this.”
– What does success mean to you?
– If we’ve managed to free people from prison and see them reunited with their families, that’s success. We come out [of prison]; sometimes the families have already been notified, or ambassadors from the relevant countries come to meet them; we give them phones so they can call their loved ones; the families have no idea that they’re already free—it’s a very joyful occasion. That’s how I measure success.
– I’d like to return to the topic of the exchange of civilian prisoners between Russia and Ukraine. What is the current status of this process, and what are its prospects?
– I think it’s getting started. The idea is already on the table, and when I return to Washington, I will push it forward because I consider it an important matter.