Early voting in Russia's presidential election is underway in parts of Russia-occupied Ukraine, as more details emerge about the death of Alexei Navalny, a prominent critic of Vladimir Putin. Prior to Navalny's death, discussions were held regarding a potential prisoner exchange involving him. The idea was informally conceived during a conversation between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Krzysztof Grozew at an Aspen Ideas Festival. This led to a two-year process of negotiations and planning for the swap deal.
After the initial discussion, Clinton brought the proposal to her friend and former colleague, now National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, who escalated it to the State Department. Over the following years, various channels were explored to communicate with the Kremlin, but attempts to reach out to the Russian president were reportedly unsuccessful.
