Russia is open to participating in another prisoner exchange with the U.S., Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview with NBC News on Dec. 10.
The call for a prisoner exchange comes as U.S President-elect Donald Trump is set to be inaugurated in January, and following the most extensive prisoner exchange between the U.S and Russia in August
Russia will "definitely be prepared to consider" a prisoner exchange, Ryabkov told NBC News, adding that a potential exchange could mark "a healthy step forward, especially at the beginning of the next (U.S.) administration."
Russia has long been accused of incarcerating individual in rulings that are widely seen as being politically motivated.
In August, the U.S and its allies exchanged prisoners with Russia in a transfer mediated by Turkey. 26 people from seven countries — U.S., Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia, and Belarus were freed.
Those released to Russia include spies, assassins, and cyber-criminals, included convicted Russian hitman Vadim Krasikov. In exchange, the U.S received three prisoners in the swap, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
Gershkovich was arrested in Yekaterinburg in late March 2023 while working on a story about the Wagner mercenary group's recruiting methods, as well as Russian citizens' views on the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Following more than a year of pretrial detention, Gershkovich's trial finally began in June, and he was convicted of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in prison.
No timeline was provided as to when the next prisoner exchange may be expected, with Ryabkov adding that facilitated exchanges require "a multiphased or multistep approach on both sides."
Tim Zadorozhnyy
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