The United States is concerned about the prospects of negotiations with the Russian side on a prisoner exchange.
The US TV channel CNN quoted its own sources as saying that Washington seriously fears that the actions of US mercenary Trevor Reed, who was previously wounded in Ukraine, will hinder contacts with Moscow on the prisoner exchange issue.
The states acknowledged that prospects for dialogue on bringing Paul Whelan and Evan Hershkovich home were in jeopardy.
"We are talking about an act that this person committed at will, and it should be considered in isolation from the dialog on the return of Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan", - explained the White House spokesman.
Earlier it became known that the US citizen Trevor Reed, who served a prison term in Russia, was injured in the zone of armed conflict in Ukraine.
Later, the US leadership said that Reed acted in Ukraine on his own behalf and not on behalf of the US authorities.