Russia is ready to engage in further prisoner exchanges with the United States, following a recent swap that marked a rare moment of cooperation between the two nations, according to the head of Moscow’s foreign intelligence agency.
Earlier this week, Russia released Ksenia Karelina, a dual US citizen who had been convicted of treason after making a donation to a charity supporting Ukraine. In return, Washington handed over Arthur Petrov, who had been accused of attempting to smuggle sensitive technology to Russia.
The exchange has been viewed as a tentative sign of thawing tensions between the two countries, whose relations hit rock bottom following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago — a conflict that plunged bilateral ties to their worst state since the Cold War.
“Dialogue with the new US administration will certainly continue in various directions, including the issue you mentioned,” said Sergei Naryshkin, the director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), when asked about future prisoner swap talks. His comments were reported by the state-run RIA news agency on Friday.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also expressed cautious optimism, suggesting that these exchanges could serve as building blocks for improved diplomatic relations. “Prisoner exchanges help build trust, which is much needed,” Lavrov said during a press conference in Kazakhstan. “But it will take a long time to finally restore it.”
The remarks come during efforts by US President Donald Trump, who returned to the White House earlier this year, to re-establish dialogue with Moscow after a prolonged period of icy relations under the Biden administration.
While no specific names or timelines were given, both sides appear open to continuing talks aimed at securing further exchanges — a process that could offer a rare diplomatic lifeline in an otherwise fractured relationship.
