Chris Lange, FISM News
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A top Kremlin diplomat said that Russia may be willing to discuss a prisoner swap with the U.S. involving jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russian state media that talks about a possible exchange would only be considered after the conclusion of Gershkovich’s trial on espionage charges.
“The issue of exchanging anyone could only be considered after a court delivers its verdict,” he said, per The Associated Press.
Ryabkov added that any such talks would have to be made through a dedicated channel previously established by Moscow and Washington and that there would be no need to engage an intermediary nation in negotiations.
“We have a working channel that was used in the past to achieve concrete agreements, and these agreements were fulfilled,” Ryabkov said.
Gershkovich, whom the U.S. has designated as “wrongfully detained,” could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. He was arrested last month, despite having press credentials, in Russia.
Ryabkov made no reference to jailed former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, on whose behalf the U.S. has also been working to secure release. Whelan was sentenced to 16 years in a Russian penal colony in 2018. He, like Gershkovich, was charged with spying on behalf of the U.S. government and declared “wrongfully detained” by the State Department.
The December 2022 exchange of WNBA Basketball player Brittney Griner for notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, known as the “merchant of death,” prompted concern among some U.S. critics that swap could incentivize Russia and other hostile countries to kidnap American citizens.
TOP CHINESE OFFICIAL SAYS BEIJING WON’T EXPORT ANY ARMS IN CONFLICT
A high-ranking Chinese official said on Friday that Beijing won’t sell weapons to either side in the war in Ukraine.
“Regarding the export of military items, China adopts a prudent and responsible attitude,” Foreign Minister Qin Gang said at a joint news conference Friday with his visiting German counterpart Annalena Baerbock.
“China will not provide weapons to relevant parties of the conflict, and manage and control the exports of dual-use items in accordance with laws and regulations,” he continued, adding that Beijing remains willing to help facilitate a peaceful resolution to end the war.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in February that the U.S. had obtained intelligence that China was contemplating providing arms and ammunition, including lethal weapons, to Russia. Blinken warned Beijing at the time that he would consider such an action to be a “serious problem.”
Reuters reported that Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu will visit Russia from April 16-19 to meet with Kremlin military officials.
RUSSIAN FORCES ADVANCE IN BAKHMUT WITH RENEWED WAGNER GROUP COOPERATION
Russian forces in and around Bakhmut in the Donetsk Oblast have made notable progress over the past two days, prompting “orderly withdrawals” of Ukrainian troops from their positions, per the latest British intelligence assessment of the war.
Britain’s Defense Ministry said that Ukrainian defenders were pushed back after Russia unleashed a barrage of “particularly intense…artillery fire” on the industrial city but added that “[t]he Ukrainian defense still holds the western districts of the town.
Moreover, Russian military and Wagner Group fighters in the region appear to have at least temporarily resolved their differences and are once again working in tandem in the eastern offensive.
“Wagner assault groups continue to conduct the main advance through the centre of town, while Russian airborne forces (VDV) have relieved some Wagner units securing the northern and southern flanks of the operation,” the Ministry said. It noted that “Ukrainian forces face significant resupply issues but have made orderly withdrawals from the positions they have been forced to concede.”