Story perspectives

Trump Weighs Prisoner Swap for Sanctions Relief

By Drooid · Sep 29, 2026, 10:41 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing a deal that would trade sanctions relief for the release of Russian political prisoners.
Special envoy for Eastern Europe John Coale proposed the initiative months ago and secured Trump’s approval.
The deal would ease Russian sanctions and reopen U.S. purchases of Russian oil, diesel and rare-earth minerals.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will try to block any sanctions lift before the war ends.

History

Historical Context

In April 1995 the United Nations adopted Resolution 986, launching the Oil-for-Food Programme that let Iraq sell oil and earn roughly $5 billion in revenue for humanitarian imports. That partial sanctions relief showed how oil trade could be exchanged for political concessions, a model echoed today as Special Envoy John Coale proposes swapping U.S. sanctions relief for the release of Russian political prisoners.

1 of 2

Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing a deal that would trade sanctions relief for the release of Russian political prisoners.
Special envoy for Eastern Europe John Coale proposed the initiative months ago and secured Trump’s approval.
The deal would ease Russian sanctions and reopen U.S. purchases of Russian oil, diesel and rare-earth minerals.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will try to block any sanctions lift before the war ends.

1 / 2