Trump’s Special Representative for Belarus commented on the prisoner exchange between Russia and Belarus
John Cole, the U.S. President’s Special Representative for Belarus, commented on the prisoner exchange between Poland and Moldova on one side and Russia and Belarus on the other.
He posted the statement on his X.
Cole noted that, with the assistance of him and his team, three Polish citizens and two Moldovan citizens returned home as part of the exchange with Russia and Belarus.
"This historic outcome was made possible by the leadership of President Donald Trump, Christopher Welby Smith (Assistant Secretary of State for Eastern European Affairs), and his team at the State Department, as well as close coordination with several trusted partners. We are grateful to Poland, Moldova, and Romania for their invaluable support in these efforts, and to President Lukashenko for his willingness to engage constructively with the United States," Cole wrote.
Today, in my role as President Trump’s Special Envoy for Belarus, my team and I helped secure the release of three Poles and two Moldovans. This historic outcome was made possible thanks to @POTUS Trump’s leadership, @ChrisWelbySmith and his team @StateDept, and close…
— john coale (@johnpcoale) April 28, 2026
On April 28, Poland and Belarus carried out a “five-for-five” prisoner exchange.
Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin, who was detained in Warsaw at Ukraine’s request, was released as part of the exchange.
Russia has recorded an unprecedented shortage of personnel.
