Top lawyer, Trump deputy talks about prisoner swap he negotiated in Eastern Europe
John Coale, a lawyer and deputy assistant to President Donald Trump, negotiated a prisoner swap in Eastern Europe that freed 10 individuals, including political prisoners and accused spies. Coale, who serves as a special envoy for Belarus, leveraged his long-standing relationship with President Alexander Lukashenko to facilitate the release. He described the process as relying on personal rapport rather than formal diplomacy, with plans to pursue further prisoner releases and international deals.
- ▪John Coale negotiated a prisoner swap in Eastern Europe that freed 10 people, including political prisoners and accused spies.
- ▪Coale served as President Donald Trump's special envoy for Belarus and developed a personal relationship with President Alexander Lukashenko.
- ▪In a previous effort in June, Coale secured the release of 14 prisoners from Belarus, some of whom were held in maximum security facilities.
- ▪One of the released prisoners had won the Nobel Peace Prize, and many were high-level resistance figures.
- ▪Coale plans additional trips to negotiate the release of 73 other imprisoned individuals across multiple countries.
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Cindy Adams Opinion Top lawyer, Trump deputy talks about prisoner swap he negotiated in Eastern Europe By Cindy Adams Published May 3, 2026, 7:58 p.m. ET Attorney John Coale speaks next to President Donald Trump at Trump golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. REUTERS Envoy’s exchanging words Last week, newspapers reported, “Prisoner swap in Eastern Europe frees 10 people, including accused spies.” The story credited “President Trump’s envoy for Belarus, John Coale, who helped negotiate the exchange.” Insiders — like way inside the White House — they know lawyer John Coale. Me, I know John Coale. It was dinners, evenings, boat rides, his newswoman wife Greta Van Susteren, mutual friends such as journalist Elaine Lafferty.
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