The Kremlin rejected reports that Russia and the United States are discussing the release of political prisoners in return for easing US sanctions.
The Atlantic reported that US President Donald Trump had backed an initiative by White House special envoy John Coale to gradually reduce sanctions if Moscow releases prisoners considered political detainees.
Coale previously helped negotiate a similar arrangement with Belarus, where President Alexander Lukashenko pardoned hundreds of prisoners as part of an agreement linked to US sanctions relief.
According to the report, Coale hoped to apply a similar approach to Russia to help ease tensions between Washington and Moscow and support efforts toward peace.
However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that such discussions had taken place. He said the issue could not have been discussed because Moscow rejects the characterization of anyone in Russia as a political prisoner.
Peskov also criticized the framing of the report as inappropriate. Rights organization Memorial currently lists 1,826 people as political prisoners in Russia. Despite denying the reported proposal, Peskov confirmed that Russian and US intelligence agencies maintain regular contact over prisoner exchanges.
The two countries have conducted two prisoner swaps since Trump returned to office in January 2025.
Earlier this week, the White House nominated Coale as special envoy for hostage affairs.
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