US' John Kirby calls Russia's demand to add prisoner to swap a 'bad faith attempt'

The United States has slammed Russia for adding a former colonel from the country's domestic spy agency convicted of murder in Germany last year to the list of US' proposed swaps in exchange for two American nations. The US urged Kremlin to stick to the earlier demand. While speaking to CNN, US Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House, John Kirby said that the deal offered by the Biden administration was not deficient and accused Moscow of a 'bad faith attempt' to avoid a "serious offer". "Holding two American citizens hostage in exchange for an assassin and a third-party country is not a serious counteroffer. In fact, it is a bad faith attempt to avoid a very serious offer in a proposal that the US has put forward and we urge Russia to take that offer seriously," he said.  

"The negotiations aren't stalled. In fact, the Biden administration has been in constant touch with the Kremlin for several weeks," said Kirby when asked whether the US was mulling stalling the deal, with Moscow exhibiting their abrupt demand for another murder convict.  

According to the sources of the America-based new outlet, Kremlin requested a former colonel from the country's domestic spy agency to be included in the US' proposed swap. Earlier, it was reported Moscow would force the Biden administration to release notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout in exchange for the two US nationals-- Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan. The media report claimed that the Russian officials have not communicated with Pentagon officially and added they took an informal channel to secure the release of Vadim Krasikov, who has been in a German prison.

Notably, in December last year, Krasikov was found guilty of shooting a former platoon commander for the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, in the head at close range in August 2019. The media sources said it was unlikely that Germany would react to Russia's demand as it had not initiated the process officially. Also, the US officials did not consider the offer "legitimate" as Moscow did not engage with Washington formally.

Lavrov suggests Blinken return to a professional dialogue

Earlier on Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a telephonic conversation, with Pentagon urging Russia to accept a deal to win the release of Griner-- who was arrested on drug-related charges at a Moscow airport in February-- and Whelan. "I urged Foreign Minister Lavrov to move forward with that proposal," he said. "I can’t give you an assessment of whether that is any more or less likely," he added. In a statement released after the call, it said Lavrov strongly suggested Blinken return to a professional dialogue in the mode of quiet diplomacy on any efforts at American detainees’ release.

Image: AP