Hopes rose on Friday for a possible prisoner swap between the US and Russia that could free two imprisoned Americans, after a top Russian official said he predicted the swap talks would one day become a “concrete agreement”.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia hopes for a “positive outcome” in the matter of exchanging Russian national Viktor Bout, a convicted arms trafficker serving a 25-year prison sentence in the US, according to state media TASS.
The possibility of a prisoner exchange is not only possible, but growing, he said, adding that “and the moment will come when the prospect will become a concrete agreement,” TASS reported.
However, the US State Department cautioned against optimism based on Ryabkov’s comments, noting that Russia has yet to commit in good faith.
“Ultimately here, actions speak louder than words,” said State Department principal deputy spokesman Vedant Patel.
In July, CNN reported that the Biden administration had offered to trade Bout as part of a possible deal to secure the release of two Americans held by Russia, basketball star Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan. But Russian officials have asked to include Vadim Krashikov, a former colonel in the country’s domestic intelligence service, in the proposed U.S. exchange of Bout for Griner and Whelan, multiple sources familiar with the discussions told CNN.
“The Americans are showing some outside activity. We deal professionally through a specially designated channel. We have not yet reached a common denominator,” Ryabkov told reporters on Friday, according to TASS. “But there’s no doubt that Victor Boot is one of those being talked about and we’re certainly hoping for a positive result.”
Responding to Ryabkov’s comments during a department briefing, Patel warned that “the failure of the Russian government to seriously discuss these issues in the established channels, or any other channel for that matter, contradicts its public statements.”
“I am not going to comment on the details of any proposal other than to say that we have made a substantial offer that the Russian Federation has consistently failed to negotiate in good faith,” he also said.
Bout’s attorney, Steve Zissou, told CNN on Friday that this week has been “full of hopeful signs” for a possible prisoner swap.
Zissou said Ryabkov’s comments could mean anything: that a deal could happen at any time, or it could simply be a reflection of Ryabkov’s response to a question. Notably, Bout’s prison artwork – which mostly includes sketches of prison scenes – is currently on display in Russia’s State Duma.
Zissou has received repeated assurances from Russian officials that Bout is at the top of Russia’s prisoner exchange list. When Zissou met with Russia’s ambassador to the US earlier this year, that assurance was repeated.
Zissou believes a trade involving just Bout and Griner would be successful and has expressed that view to U.S. officials, he said, but the U.S. wouldn’t go along with it because it doesn’t want to agree to any deal that would leave Whelan out. .
He also expressed the view that President Joe Biden’s position is strengthened with the midterm elections in the mirror. Biden himself had expressed hope that the Russians would become more seriously involved in the aftermath of the election.
In August, Zissou told CNN’s New Day that she is “confident” his client’s proposed prisoner exchange will go through, adding, “Look, it’s not a secret that they’ve wanted him back for several years. They have been trying to bring him back for decades.”
The US State Department, however, played down optimism about the negotiations on Friday, saying Russia had yet to commit in good faith.
“I’m not going to comment on the specifics of any proposal other than to say that we have made a substantial offer that the Russian Federation has consistently failed to negotiate in good faith,” State Department principal deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said in a statement. update.
The families of Whelan, who has been held by Russia for alleged espionage since 2018, and WNBA star Griner, who has been jailed in Moscow for drug possession since February, have urged the White House to secure their release. The State Department has said both Griner and Whelan are being wrongfully detained.
US and Irish embassy officials were able to visit with Paul Whelan at his remote penal colony in Russia on Wednesday, his brother said in an email.
On Thursday, Griner’s lawyers confirmed she had been transferred to a penal colony in Java, in the western Russian region of Mordovia, ending days of speculation about her whereabouts.
Her lawyers, Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov, thanked everyone who reached out for support.
“First, on behalf of Brittney, we would like to thank everyone who expressed their care for her,” they said in a statement. “We can confirm that Brittney has begun serving her sentence at IK-2 in Mordovia.”
“We visited her early this week. Brittney is doing as well as you’d expect and trying to stay strong as she adjusts to a new environment. Given that this is a very difficult time for her, there will be no further comment from us.”
