MINSK, August 2. /TASS/. US President Joe Biden played no part in the recent prisoner swap between Russia and Western countries, and that now he is trying to "pump up" his role in the process, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said.
According to the "SB. Belarus Today" media outlet, Lukashenko pointed out at a meeting with residents of the Gomel Region of Belarus that the swap had been arranged solely by intelligence agencies and that even diplomats had not been involved. Meanwhile, Belarus rendered all possible assistance.
"We received a request and joined the process; we did what we could to help. Some people sentenced to life imprisonment in the West were released," Lukashenko said, as cited by the BelTA news agency. "Now, the person of the US president is pumping up his influence, even though he had no hand in the process. It was intelligence agencies that held talks; even diplomats weren’t involved. We agreed to do everything quietly, but they started shouting to the world. Such things are usually done in silence because it’s about human lives," Lukashenko added.
Russia and the West conducted a prisoner swap in the Turkish capital of Ankara on August 1. One of the convicts involved was German national Rico Krieger, who had been pardoned by the Belarusian leader.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) reported earlier that eight Russian nationals, detained or convicted in several NATO countries, as well as underage children, had returned home following a prisoner swap conducted at Ankara’s airport. Those swapped included a Russian citizen known under the name of Krasikov, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment in Germany. The Russians were exchanged for a group of individuals who had acted in the interests of other countries. According to US President Joe Biden, Russia released 16 people as part of the prisoner swap, including former US Marine Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, convicted in Russia of espionage.