Medvedev floats adding US and European citizens to an ‘exchange pool’

The Russian Security Council deputy chairman linked the idea to bringing Russians home, alleging that they could face arrest in European countries.

On October 9, Dmitry Medvedev wrote on the MAX platform that Russia would probably need to replenish an “exchange pool” with citizens of European countries and the United States. He accompanied the remark with an insult and a proverb about living with wolves.

The deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council said he believed any Russian in Europe who speaks the truth about Western countries and the Kyiv regime could potentially be arrested. This was Medvedev’s claim, not confirmation that such a plan or pattern of arrests exists.

Medvedev named no specific people who might be exchanged, possible participants or timetable. He also gave no details about the cases or detentions to which he was referring.

Russian officials use the term “exchange pool” in connection with swaps involving detainees and convicted people. In this post, Medvedev speculated that the pool might be replenished, but described no subsequent steps.