The negotiations between the U.S. and Russia about prisoner swaps and any potential talks over Moscow's full-scale war against Ukraine are not related, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said at a briefing on Aug. 1.
Sullivan's statement came after a major prisoner exchange that involved 26 people from seven countries — the U.S., Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia, and Belarus.
Eight of them, including convicted Russian hitman Vadim Krasikov, were returned to Russia in exchange for the release of 16 people who were held in Russian detention, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, and ex-U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.
When asked if such interactions with Moscow lay the groundwork for talks on ending Russia's war against Ukraine, Sullivan said that the White House does not see a link there.
"We see those operating on the separate tracks. One is really about the practical issue of producing this exchange. The other is a much more complex question where the Ukrainians will be in the lead and the United States will consult closely with all of our allies to support them when they are prepared to step forward and engage in that kind of diplomacy," Sullivan said.
As Russia's war stretches into its third year, Kyiv has said it aims to invite a Russian representative to the second peace summit to present a peace plan based on President Volodymyr Zelensky's peace formula and international input.
No official invitation has been sent so far, but the Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov has already said that Moscow is not planning to participate in the event without an agenda "that would suit" Russia.
Speaking a day ahead of the Switzerland summit, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said that as a condition for peace negotiations, Ukraine must fully withdraw from four partially occupied regions that Moscow illegally annexed in 2022. Kyiv rejected this demand.
Nate Ostiller
(Updated: )
