2024-08-02 09:31 update: 2024-08-02, 12:42
Photo PAP/Radek Pietruszka
The reason for Poland's involvement in Thursday's prisoner swap between the West and Russia was that Warsaw is a loyal ally of Washington and Poland may soon need "a favour" from the United States, a Polish deputy foreign minister has said.
On Thursday Turkey facilitated the biggest prisoner swap between the West and Russia since the Cold War, in which 24 prisoners and two children were exchanged. The inmates were held in prisons in seven different countries, including Poland.
Speaking to the public broadcaster TVP Info on Friday, Andrzej Szejna said: "We have gained this, we are a loyal member of NATO, a loyal ally of the US and this seems to me to be a value in itself, because perhaps in a different situation we'll soon need, perhaps not a similar, but still a favour from the United States."
As part of the exchange, Poland has released Pavel Rubtsov, a Russian military intelligence (GRU) agent.
Rubtsov was detained by Polish law enforcement services on the Polish-Ukrainian border on February 28, 2022.
He claimed to be a Spanish journalist and used the name Pablo Gonzales. He was said to be using the status of journalist to gather information on Ukraine for Russian special services and to gain the trust of Russian oppositionists.
US President Joe Biden in a telephone conversation on Thursday thanked his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda, for Poland's assistance in the operation, Duda's office has reported on the X platform. (PAP)
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