Discussion of Navalny's Exchange Between Russia, the US, and Germany: Bild

Russia was reportedly considering the exchange of the recently deceased opposition figure Alexei Navalny for Vadim Krasikov, an employee of the FSB's secret division. This was reported by the German publication Bild, citing its sources.

According to the publication, negotiations regarding the exchange took place between Russia, the US, and Germany. It was noted that President Vladimir Putin wanted to secure the return of agent Vadim Krasikov, who is currently incarcerated in a German prison.

The publication highlighted that Putin hinted at this in an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson. Vadim Krasikov (also known as Sokolov) has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of former Chechen commander Zelimkhan Hangoshvili, which he carried out on August 23, 2019, in Berlin.

In September, The Wall Street Journal reported that Russian authorities were looking for opportunities to exchange journalist Evan Gershkovich and other American prisoners in Russia for Vadim Krasikov. According to the publication, Alexei Navalny could have been part of the exchange.