The Atlantic: Trump Supported the Idea of Softening Sanctions Against Russia in Exchange for the Release of Political Prisoners
US President Donald Trump agreed to a proposal from his special envoy for Eastern Europe to soften American sanctions against Russia in exchange for the release of political prisoners. This was reported by The Atlantic.
According to the publication, this initiative emerged several months ago and is currently in its early stages. Its goal is to break the deadlock in US-Russian relations and expand negotiations between Washington and Moscow beyond the issue of the war in Ukraine.
If this scheme were realized, Russia could gradually return to the global economy, and the US could enter into economic agreements with Moscow in the fields of oil, diesel fuel, rare earth metals, and other commodities.
The release of political prisoners on humanitarian grounds, as noted by The Atlantic, could also help strengthen Trump's position in his efforts to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
However, the proposed approach will clearly provoke a negative reaction in Ukraine, among European allies of the United States, and a segment of American lawmakers. According to The Atlantic, the restoration of economic ties with Russia could bring it additional revenue, which could be used to continue the war against Ukraine and strengthen its military potential against NATO countries.
On September 22, Trump's special envoy for Belarus, John Cole, announced that the US had begun working on the issue of Russian political prisoners. He stated that relevant lists had already been compiled but declined to name names. The American administration has already used a similar approach regarding Belarus.
After Trump's return to the White House, Russia and the US conducted two prisoner exchanges. In February 2025, Moscow released American Marc Fogel, convicted of drug smuggling, and Washington handed over to Russia Aleksandr Vinnik, whom US authorities accused of laundering billions of dollars through the crypto exchange BTC-e.
In April, Russia exchanged Ksenia Karelina, convicted for transferring $51.8 to a charity fund in Ukraine, for Artur Petrov, who was accused in the US of smuggling microelectronics for the Russian military industry.
In August 2026, after negotiations with Trump, Vladimir Putin released former US Marine Robert Gilman, who had been in custody since 2022. The Russian president's special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, then stated that the decision was made for humanitarian reasons.
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