Most vocal has been the former coordinator of the secret services, Mariusz Kamiński, who has panned the government for releasing GRU agent Pavel Rubtsov, while failing to secure the freedom of Andrzej Poczobut, a journalist imprisoned in Belarus.

Speaking to Polsat News, the Deputy Foreign Minister, Andrzej Szejna, fought back saying that Thursday’s exchange was, “a freedom action led by the United States.”

He added: “We took into account, supported, and acted on the requests of President Biden’s administration.”

While Szejna recognized that Russian agents, and even a hitman, had been freed by other countries, he stressed that “innocent people who became hostages of Putin’s regime,” had been released in return. Poland’s role, said Szejna, fell within its duty and responsibilities as a NATO member.

Continuing, Szejna underlined that Poczobut had not been forgotten and that negotiations to free him were taking place separately with Belarus. He added that Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski was actively raising the issue of Polish political prisoners at every ministerial meeting.

“The release of all political prisoners, including Andrzej Poczobut, is being negotiated in a slightly different manner, directly with Belarus,” said Szejna.

Paweł Jabłoński, the former Deputy Foreign Minister under the Law and Justice government (PiS), took umbrage with Szejna’s response noting that the German citizen Rico Krieger had been freed, despite being jailed in Belarus - and not Russia.

As part of Thursday’s exchange in Ankara, Turkey, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan was freed, as was Wall Street Journalist Evan Gershkovich.

Pavel Rubtsov (a.k.a. Pablo Gonzalez) was, until the swap, regarded as Poland’s highest profile imprisoned Russian agent. Working under the cover of being a Spanish freelance journalist, he was arrested in 2022 by Polish security services.