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Story summary
- President Donald Trump nominated John Coale as Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs.
- Coale secured the release of hundreds of Belarusian political prisoners via back-channel talks with Alexander Lukashenko.
- He gave Lukashenko GLP-1 medication and pledged sanctions relief to achieve the releases.
- Coale plans to offer similar sanctions relief to Russia in exchange for American hostages.
- Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Pete Ricketts said any Russia sanction easing is unacceptable.
