Russia, US trade prisoners
Russia, West hold historic prisoner exchange not seen since Cold War
Russia and the West traded convicts on August 1 in what was their largest prisoner exchange since the Cold War. It involved 26 prisoners from seven countries – Russia, Belarus, Slovenia, the United States, Germany, Poland and Norway. The transfer of prisoners took place in the Turkish capital, Ankara. Ten of those released went to Russia, where Russian President Vladimir Putin personally met them at the airport. In addition, according to media reports, 13 people went to Germany and three to the United States. According to experts interviewed by Izvestia, the exchange was a win for everyone involved, but it should not be expected to usher in an improvement in relations between Russia and the US or influence the conflict in Ukraine.
Deputy Director of the Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the Higher School of Economics Dmitry Suslov emphasized the significance of this historic event. “Such an exchange of prisoners, truly unprecedented in its scale, took place because it is beneficial for both parties,” he said.
The landmark exchange is not a signal that the tides are turning in bilateral relations between the United States and Russia, nor will it have any impact on the Ukrainian issue, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US State Department Vedant Patel said at a briefing.
Such an exchange will not change anything fundamental in relations between the countries. The exchange is important as it shows that there are still some channels of communication left between Russia and the United States, even if they are meagre, the expert noted. With the prisoner trade, the parties showed that they can indeed cooperate, but this is an exception in relations, as in all other areas things are very confrontational, he added.
The exchange of prisoners could have a positive impact on the dialogue between the two countries. “I think that this exchange will not fundamentally affect Russian-US relations, because they are still focused on much bigger problems. Nevertheless, this is a rather positive aspect that should be taken into account in the context of talks on finding a peaceful solution to the situation in Ukraine,” said another expert.
Some experts suggest that the exchange can be linked to the upcoming presidential election in the US, as the Democrats are looking for any opportunity to win over voters, and Kamala Harris, of course, can use all the support she can get at this point.
