(Reuters) – Vladimir Putin said on Friday that further prisoner swaps between the United States and Russia were possible, and that negotiations between the two countries’ intelligence services would continue.
The Russian president spoke at a press conference in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, the day after the release of American basketball player Brittney Griner for that of Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout, as part of the exchange of most publicized prisoners in years between the two countries.
Vladimir Putin said further exchanges were possible.
“The negotiations are continuing. In fact, they have never stopped […]. A compromise has been found, we do not rule out continuing this work in the future,” he said.
Russia is holding Paul Whelan, a US Marine Corps veteran who was convicted of espionage in 2020 in a trial deemed unfair and opaque by US diplomats.
Russia’s Interfax news agency reported on Thursday, citing Paul Whelan’s lawyer, that talks between Washington and Moscow over his release were continuing.
(Reuters report; French version Federica Mileo, edited by Blandine Hénault)
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