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West-Russia prisoner swap prompts criticism in Poland

06.08.2024 01:00
Poland's involvement in last week’s prisoner exchange between the West and Russia was as a loyal ally of Washington, the authorities have said, in response to criticism from the opposition.
Audio
Andrzej Szejna
Andrzej SzejnaPhoto: Przemysław Chmielewski/Polskie Radio

The conservative opposition at home has slammed the release of an alleged Russian agent without securing in return the freeing of an ethnic Pole being held in Belarus in a politically motivated case. 

Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Szejna asserted that the cost of the exchange was high, as Russian spies, hackers and a killer were set free.

However, this is a price that sometimes must be paid in diplomacy, he said.

“At the request of Joe Biden's administration, we fulfilled our allied obligations to the United States and NATO countries,” Szejna told reporters.

“The key outcome is that innocent people, who were held almost as hostages or political prisoners in Russia, have been freed,” he added.

Radio Poland's Michał Owczarek has the story.

Click on the audio player above to listen.