A Russian deputy foreign minister has expressed frustration at the state of talks between Russia and the United States on a potential prisoner exchange. The talks are centered around the possibility of freeing Americans Paul Whelan, who has been convicted of espionage in Russia, and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is facing espionage charges. The Russian deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, has accused the U.S. of seeking to get more while giving the minimum in negotiations.

He also alleged that American media, at the instigation of the current administration, are engaged in savoring the stories of the detained Americans, making the negotiating process more difficult. Ryabkov's comments come after the U.S. State Department revealed that Russia had rejected several proposals for freeing Whelan and Gershkovich. The United States has declared both men to be wrongly detained, and their cases have attracted substantial media attention.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Moscow is discussing the cases of Whelan and Gershkovich with the U.S. and hopes to find a solution. Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan, has been jailed in Russia since December 2018, while Gershkovich was detained in March. Overall, the negotiations for a potential prisoner exchange continue to be a point of contention between Russia and the United States, with both sides expressing frustration at the state of the talks and accusing each other of making the negotiation process more difficult.