Summary
U.S. special envoy John Coale announced plans to return to Belarus shortly and expressed confidence he can secure the release of more political prisoners. Speaking to Voice of America’s Russian language service, Coale said prior diplomacy had persuaded Belarus to free up to 800 detainees in connection with a U.S. decision to relax certain sanctions on Minsk, and he is targeting an additional handover in mid-September.
Details of the planned mission
Coale said he expects to travel to Belarus in "a couple of weeks' time" to try to finalize further releases. He told Voice of America’s Russian language service - which published his remarks on its website over the weekend - that he is "planning to go to Belarus again, and I hope to secure the release of even more political prisoners. I think I'll succeed." He specified that he was aiming for a handover in the middle of September.
On past progress, Coale provided a breakdown of earlier releases: "We managed to secure the release of five hundred people, and then a further two hundred or so were released. So the actual figure is around 700-800 people. I hope to bring that number up to a thousand soon," he said.
Context provided in remarks
The envoy said his diplomacy had persuaded Belarus to free these detainees in return for the U.S. easing some of its sanctions on Minsk. The account of prior negotiations and the cited trade-off between releases and sanctions relief were presented by Coale in his comments to Voice of America.
The article notes an additional related comment from Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who is outside Belarus. Tsikhanouskaya told Reuters in June that the Trump administration had informed her about a delay in its efforts to persuade President Alexander Lukashenko to free more political prisoners, but she said she could not disclose the reason for that delay.
About the envoy
Coale, 79, was appointed by U.S. President Trump last year to lead discussions with President Lukashenko. The reporting describes elements of how Coale has interacted with Lukashenko, saying he has cultivated the Belarusian leader through extended conversations and shared vodka-drinking sessions, at times quietly emptying his glass on the floor in order to remain sober.
Implications
The envoy's planned trip and the reported exchange involving sanctions and prisoner releases remain subject to near-term developments, including whether the planned mid-September handover occurs as Coale hopes.