United States and Russia Swap Prisoners
photo credit: NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP
American journalist Evan Gershkovich, former Marine Paul Whelan, and others were freed from Russia in a prisoner exchange that sees Russia release 16 in exchange for receiving eight back. The particulars of the swap involved Germany, Turkey, and other countries as well.
Washington Post:
The United States, Russia, Germany and four other countries swapped at least two dozen people Thursday in the largest prisoner exchange since the height of the Cold War. Those released included American journalist Evan Gershkovich, former Marine Paul Whelan, Russian dissidents and others from the United States, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus.
The exchange caps months of painstaking diplomacy involving negotiations at the highest levels of multiple governments. “The deal that secured their freedom was a feat of diplomacy,” said President Biden in a statement. Russia received eight prisoners Thursday, and released 16, many of whom were unjustly accused or handed heavy sentences for minor offenses.
One thing this highlights is the value of international relationships based on mutual trust and affinity rather than bluster and intimidation.Report
This was all over the local news yesterday. Given the exchange, it seems what we gave up vs who we got back, that Russia got a better deal. That being said, I’m not against the trade.
I’m more disappointed in the plea deal given the 9-11 terrorists….Report
You mean the guy who has been held 20 years in Gitmo? Without trail? That one?Report
Yep. And, the news reports indicated he’d spend the rest of his life there.Report
SO then he’s paying for his crimes against the US in a way where he can’t be Martyred. Sounds like a Win to me.Report
The “deal” was a guilty plea and life imprisonment. The maximum sentence if they went to trial and lost was death. Anything that ended up in death would, by definition, not be a “deal.”
If the very concept of a deal here is objectionable, that’s certainly a position one can take. A stupid one, but a position one can take. Objecting to the terms of this deal, however, makes no sense if one accepts the possibility of a deal at all.Report
Trump and Vance are, predictably, claiming that they would have gotten a better deal, not explaining why TFG didn’t get that better deal when he was President. A serious case of hypotheticum poisoning.Report
Good news! The plea bargain that Donald Trump appointees worked out with the Guantanamo detainees has been overturned by Biden and Harris and their much better appointees!
Read it yourself:
Report