Washington and Moscow Open New Channels.. Prisoners for Sanctions

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The Russian president's envoy for investment and economic cooperation, Kirill Dmitriev, held a series of meetings in Washington with American officials, including representatives from the Treasury and Energy Departments, to discuss economic cooperation between Moscow and Washington, in a move coinciding with efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

Informed sources said that Dmitriev's meetings in Washington came after meetings he held in New York with Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Donald Trump, and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, adding that the discussions addressed issues related to Russian-American economic cooperation, according to the TASS news agency.

In the same context, an American official confirmed that Dmitriev held "constructive" talks with American officials regarding ending the war in Ukraine, in addition to discussing potential initiatives for energy cooperation between the United States and Russia after the war, according to Reuters.

These meetings come after Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's meeting in New York last week, during which both sides discussed the possibility of reaching a ceasefire targeting energy facilities, while Witkoff and Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier in September.

On the other hand, The Atlantic magazine revealed an initiative proposed by Trump's envoy for Eastern European affairs, John Cole, which involves the release of Russian political prisoners in exchange for easing the U.S. sanctions imposed on Moscow, noting that Trump agreed to test the plan, which is still in its early stages.

According to the magazine, this path could later pave the way for trade deals with Russia that include oil, diesel, rare earth minerals, and other goods, thereby opening the door for expanding economic dealings between the two countries.

Cole's proposal is based on an experience he had last year with Belarus, where he led negotiations that resulted in the release of about 500 political prisoners, including American citizens, in exchange for Washington easing some sanctions and seeking to conclude economic deals with Minsk.

The Atlantic report also clarified that Cole, with Trump's approval, aims to apply the same approach with Russia, having held talks with Russian opposition figure and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov regarding a list of opposition members, journalists, and others who are imprisoned in Russia.

These moves coincide with the widening scope of Russian-American communications to include economic files alongside negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine, particularly energy, sanctions, and trade.

The Atlantic clarifies that the prisoner initiative represents an attempt to create a space for gradual economic engagement with Moscow, but it also pointed out Ukrainian and European objections to easing economic pressure on Russia before the war ends.