Despite rising tensions between Russia and the United States since Russia’s renewed invasion of Ukraine, the two sides appear to be moving closer to a new prisoner exchange.
The White House has urged Russia to accept its proposed deal for the release of Greiner and former US Marine Paul Whelan, who was sentenced to 16 years in prison in Russia on espionage charges.
The US media reports that Russia’s goal is to rescue Victor Buta, an arms dealer connected to the Russian special services, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for arms smuggling, from a US prison.
CNN reported, that Russia wants Russian special services agent Vadim Krasikov to be included in the prisoner swap. He is currently incarcerated in a German prison serving a life sentence for Chechen activist Zelimkhan Khangoshvili murder in Berlin in 2019. Such a deal is considered unlikely, because in that case the German government would also have to be involved.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that Moscow is willing to discuss the prisoner exchange issue, but on the condition that talks take place only between Kremlin mastermind Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden. Lavrov assured that the communication channel between the leaders of the two countries is still working.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who spoke with Lavrov about the exchange last Friday, said Washington would “continue” talks with Russia.
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