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Spokesperson: U.S. will judge Russia by actions after Lavrov-Rubio call; welcomes prisoner exchange
Summary
The State Department said Secretary Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and welcomed a recent 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange; officials said they will judge Russian behavior by actions, not statements.
A State Department spokesperson said on Oct. 11 that Secretary Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and that the department welcomed a recent exchange of prisoners that returned roughly 1,000 for 1,000 detainees.
The spokesperson said the department and the president will “judge Russia based not on what they say, but on what they do,” and described the prisoner exchange as a welcome development arranged in part during meetings in Istanbul. The spokesperson reiterated calls for “constructive good faith dialogue” between Russia and Ukraine as the only path to ending the war.
When asked whether the Russian offer of direct talks with Ukraine could be in good faith, the spokesperson would not characterize Russia’s intentions beyond repeating the administration’s request for good-faith negotiations. The spokesperson also said the department would leave open whether U.S. representatives would participate directly in the next rounds of talks, declining to preview involvement.
No text of any proposed memorandum or commitments from Russia was provided during the briefing.
