The US could offer Russia sanctions relief in exchange for the release of political prisoners, The Atlantic reported, potentially clearing a path for expanded economic ties between Washington and Moscow.
US envoy John Coale has tested this style of quid pro quo arrangement — which is envisioned to involve lucrative deals in Russian oil, diesel, and rare earths — in Moscow-allied Belarus, which Washington has tapped for its potash supplies. “The more trade-offs… leads step by step toward, hopefully, peace,” Coale said.
Washington’s diplomatic efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine have faltered, with Moscow looking to up its defense spending next year. Ukraine’s leader warned last week, “When someone gives Russia more money through trade, they give this war more time.”