Trump nominates John Cole as special envoy for hostage affairs
Version 2: Additional Russian business outlets have now reported the nomination with Trump's direct quotes and figures, saying Cole secured the return of more than 65 US and allied citizens from Belarus and the release of more than 800 political prisoners, and adding background on the prisoner-for-sanctions-relief mechanism with Minsk; the account that the previous envoy will stay on as a senior adviser remains single-source.
In short
US President Donald Trump has nominated John Cole, his special envoy for Belarus, as his candidate for special presidential representative for hostage affairs with the rank of ambassador, according to TASS, RBC, Interfax and Kommersant. Trump said Cole had over the past year secured the return from Belarus of more than 65 citizens of the United States and allied countries and agreed the release of more than 800 political prisoners from several Eastern European countries. TASS reported that Adam Boehler, who held the hostage-affairs post, will continue to provide support as a senior adviser; the other outlets did not mention him.
Read the full story 2 min read
US President Donald Trump has nominated John Cole, currently his special envoy for Belarus, as his candidate for the post of special presidential representative for hostage affairs with the rank of ambassador. The nomination was reported by the state agency TASS and by the business outlets RBC, Interfax and Kommersant after Trump announced it on his social network, which Kommersant identified as Truth Social. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Trump called Cole “an outstanding lawyer” and his “incredibly successful” envoy for Belarus. He said Cole had over the past year secured the return from Belarus of more than 65 citizens of the United States and allied countries and had agreed the release of more than 800 political prisoners from a number of Eastern European countries. [ 3 , 4 ]
Kommersant wrote that Washington has been easing sanctions on Belarus in return for prisoner releases. It cited a mid-September 2025 agreement by Minsk to free 25 prisoners in exchange for lifting restrictions on the potash fertiliser producer Bellesbumprom and on Lakokraska. In August 2025, the outlet reported, Minsk discussed with US diplomats the release of a large number of prisoners and hoped for the lifting of restrictions on Belavia and Belaruskali; in September 2025 talks involving Cole resulted in the release of 52 prisoners in exchange for partial sanctions relief, including on Belavia. Washington tied further easing to continued amnesty, and more than 1,000 prisoners still held in Belarus in December 2025 were a factor in further talks, according to the same account. [ 4 ]
Kommersant also cited The Atlantic as reporting that Trump agreed to ease sanctions on Russia under a similar mechanism, in exchange for the release of convicted Russians who opposed Russia's military actions in Ukraine. The Kremlin has said there are no political prisoners in Russia, Kommersant added. [ 4 ]
TASS reported that Trump said Adam Boehler, who held the hostage-affairs post, “will continue to provide support as a senior adviser”. The other three outlets did not mention Boehler. [ 1 ]
Why it matters
The hostage-affairs post is the channel through which Washington has pursued the release of detained Americans, and the documents describe Cole's Belarus work as part of a tested model in which prisoner releases are tied to step-by-step easing of US sanctions. Kommersant's account indicates that talks of this kind have already produced releases in Belarus and that further amnesty remained a condition for further relief. The documents give no detail on Cole's plans for the wider portfolio, on any confirmation process, or on why the change is being made now.
Key facts
- Donald Trump nominated John Cole as his candidate for special presidential representative for hostage affairs with the rank of ambassador. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Cole is the US special envoy for Belarus; RBC described him as a lawyer as well. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Trump said Cole had over the past year secured the return from Belarus of more than 65 citizens of the United States and allied countries. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Trump said Cole had agreed the release of more than 800 political prisoners from a number of Eastern European countries. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Trump announced the nomination on his social network, which Kommersant identified as Truth Social. [ 3 , 4 ]
- TASS reported that Adam Boehler, who held the hostage-affairs post, will continue to provide support as a senior adviser. [ 1 ]
- Kommersant reported that Washington has eased sanctions on Belarus in exchange for prisoner releases, including a September 2025 release of 52 prisoners in exchange for partial relief. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Trump nominated John Cole, currently the US special envoy for Belarus, as his candidate for special presidential representative for hostage affairs with the rank of ambassador. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Cole had been serving as US special envoy for Belarus. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Trump said Cole had secured the return from Belarus of more than 65 citizens of the United States and allied countries over the past year. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Trump said Cole had agreed the release of more than 800 political prisoners from a number of Eastern European countries. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Trump announced the nomination on his social network; Kommersant identified the network as Truth Social. [ 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Adam Boehler, who previously held the hostage-affairs post, remains involved as a senior adviser. Only TASS states that Trump said Boehler will continue to provide support as a senior adviser; RBC, Interfax and Kommersant do not mention him.
- Whether the nomination requires confirmation and what the timetable is. None of the documents describes a confirmation procedure or a date.
- Why the change of envoy is being made. No document gives a reason for the nomination.
- Where the announcement was made and where Cole is based. The documents give no location; the Moscow dateline in the Interfax report is the agency's bureau, not the site of the event.
- The details of earlier prisoner-for-sanctions arrangements with Minsk. These are reported only by Kommersant, which attributes part of its account to The Atlantic; no other document corroborates them, and the Kommersant text is truncated.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- TASS reports that Trump nominated John Cole as special envoy for hostage affairs and that Adam Boehler will continue to provide support as a senior adviser. [ 1 ]
- RBC reports the nomination, identifying Cole as a lawyer and US special representative for Belarus. [ 2 ]
- Interfax publishes Trump's statement announcing Cole as his candidate for special presidential representative for hostage affairs with the rank of ambassador, citing his record of securing the return of more than 65 citizens and the release of more than 800 political prisoners. [ 3 ]
- Kommersant reports the nomination and adds background on US sanctions relief for Belarus in exchange for prisoner releases. [ 4 ]