The Kremlin, asked on Wednesday about a possible prisoner exchange with the United States, restated its position that such cases can only be resolved "in silence," meaning that it will not provide a running commentary on negotiations.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that he had spoken to Paul Whelan, a Marine Corps veteran imprisoned in Russia since 2018 on spying charges he and the White House deny, in a rare phone call.