Peskov Denies Discussions on Easing US Sanctions Against Russia in Exchange for Release of Political Prisoners

Reform.news Editorial Team · 30 September 2026, 13:52

https://reform.news/en/peskov-denies-discussions-on-easing-us-sanctions-against-russia-in-exchange-for-release-of-political-prisoners/

Russia has not discussed with the United States the possible easing of sanctions in exchange for the release of political prisoners. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said such discussions were impossible because there are no political prisoners in Russia.

According to Peskov, the issue could not have been discussed in those terms “because we categorically deny the existence of any political prisoners and believe that framing the issue in this way is entirely inappropriate.”

At the same time, Peskov noted that Russia and the United States maintain regular contacts on prisoner exchanges.

“As for the various exchanges that have taken place before, our special services continue to maintain regular contacts on this matter,” TASS quotes him as saying.

It was previously reported that the US publication The Atlantic wrote that Donald Trump’s special envoy to Belarus, John Coale, is proposing to apply the “Belarusian model” to Russia and ease US sanctions against Russia in exchange for the release of Russian political prisoners.