The negotiations that were held behind the curtain between the US, western allies and Russia to secure the release of two dozen individuals were “colossal”, FRANCE 24 Chief Foreign Editor Rob Parsons said in an analysis. Negotiators in backchannel talks at one point explored an exchange involving Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, but after his death in February ultimately stitched together a deal that required significant concessions from European allies, including the release of a Russian assassin.
