Kremlin Denies Talks on Freeing Political Prisoners for U.S. Sanctions Relief

Sep. 30, 2026 Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Sputnik / Alexander Kazakov / Reuters The Kremlin on Wednesday dismissed press reports that it was discussing the release of political prisoners in exchange for easing U.S. sanctions. Earlier, The Atlantic reported that U.S. President Donald Trump had “signed on” to White House special envoy John Coale’s initiative to pull back sanctions gradually if Moscow would agree to free Russian political prisoners. Coale has spearheaded a similar arrangement with neighboring Belarus, a close Russian ally, where President Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned hundreds of prisoners for sanctions relief. The White House envoy is now reportedly hoping to turn that strategy toward Moscow in order to break the deadlock in U.S.-Russian relations and “help advance the cause of peace.” However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Wednesday that U.S. and Russian officials have not discussed the idea. “In this formulation, the issue was not discussed and could not be discussed because we categorically deny the existence of any political prisoners,” Peskov said during a daily briefing. Nobel Peace Prize-winning rights group Memorial currently recognizes 1,826 people as political prisoners in Russia. Peskov described the framing of The Atlantic’s report as “completely inappropriate.” The spokesman did acknowledge, however, that Russian and U.S. intelligence services remain in regular contact regarding prisoner exchanges. Russia and the U.S. have carried out two prisoner swaps since Trump took office in January 2025. Earlier this week, the White House nominated Coale to serve as its special envoy for hostage affairs. Coale, a lawyer who previously represented Americans released during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, was officially appointed to the Belarus role in November, though he had negotiated prisoner releases before that as deputy Ukraine envoy. Read more about: Sanctions , Political prisoner , United States Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more U.S. Waiver on Russian Oil Expires as Extension Remains Uncertain Asian countries, which rely on oil and gas supplies from the Middle East, have been lobbying Washington for an extension. 2 Min read Belarus Frees 250 Political Prisoners in U.S.-Brokered Deal Washington agreed to remove sanctions on several Belarusian companies in return. 2 Min read Belarus Releases 52 Political Prisoners After Meeting With U.S. Officials in Minsk Belarusian state media reported that citizens of Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, France, Germany and Britain were among the prisoners released. 2 Min read U.S., Britain Slap Joint Sanctions on Russian Cybercrime Gang Trickbot The United States and Britain have sanctioned seven Russian citizens over their alleged membership in the notorious cybercrime gang Trickbot, the U.S....