Blog: Russia dismisses chances of swap involving detained American – Los Angeles Times

The Russian Embassy in Washington found out about Makarenko’s detention from those close to him, and not the U.S. government, violating the Vienna convention of giving notification within 72 hours of a foreign national’s arrest. “This is not the first time the U.S. does this,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “The United States’ neglect of its international obligations has become the norm.”