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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums'Trump loses his hostage': Biden applauded for securing release of Gershkovich and Whelan
TFG kept promising the release of prisoners by Russia if and only if he was re-elected. TFG was in effect promising that he had a deal with Putin for the release of these prisoners. Putin did this deal at a time where it will help Kamala Harris and not help TFG. President Biden was able to pull of this deal that involved a good number of countries. TFG could never pull off this type of deal
Link to tweet
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-loses-his-hostage-biden-applauded-for-securing-release-of-gershkovich-and-whelan/
The men had been jailed on espionage charges they both deny, and the U.S. State Department has designated them as wrongly detained, and the Kremlin may also release Russian-British dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was convicted of treason for criticizing the Ukraine invasion, as part of the swap.
Trump had raised eyebrows by suggesting multiple times that he had a deal in place with Vladimir Putin to release the journalist from detention if he's re-elected, saying the Russian president "will do that for me, and I don't believe he'll do it for anyone else," but president Joe Biden beat him to the punch and got the pair released.
It's not clear what terms the U.S. agreed to in exchange for the release of Gershkovich and Whelan, but social media users agreed their release was a win for Biden.
"WHOA. Another huge accomplishment from the #BidenHarris administration," said A.J. Delgado, a former Trump campaign aide in 2016 who's become an outspoken critic.......
"Gershkovich release is great news - and interesting that Putin did it now eviscerating Trumps vile claim that he would get Gershkovich freed at once if elected as a trophy from the Kremlin," saidThe New Yorker's Philip Gourevitch.
"Thank goodness Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and others are being released from Russia due to the work of the Biden-Harris Administration and our allies," said attorney Mujeeb Shah-Khan. "So, guessing Mr. Trump doesnt have the leverage he thought he did."
LetMyPeopleVote
(153,746 posts)This was a very complex deal involving multiple countries. It took a world leader like President Biden to pull off this deal
Link to tweet
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/01/russia-us-prisoner-swap/
Those to be released included American journalist Evan Gershkovich of the Wall Street Journal, who was accused of espionage without any known evidence, and Paul Whelan, a former Marine jailed for more than five years after an espionage conviction the United States called baseless, as well as several Russian dissidents who demanded freedom and democracy or criticized the war in Ukraine, including Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post Opinions contributor.
The prisoners were released from the jails of seven countries: the United States, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus, the Turkish presidential office said, adding that they were brought to Turkey by seven planes, two from the United States and one each from Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Russia.
Prairie Gates
(2,580 posts)with Olaf Scholz.
Buttoneer
(576 posts)to worry about campaigning at the same time!
BadgerMom
(2,939 posts)Im thrilled now with our terrific veep, but, yeah, I thought about Biden off-leash as it were in a second term and was eagerly anticipating it.
Johnny2X2X
(21,417 posts)Vogel, Gershkovich, and Whelan are the American end of the deal. Germany got 13 of their people back too.
niyad
(119,182 posts)who never seemed to get mentioned whenever there was talk of jailed American journalists.
Johnny2X2X
(21,417 posts)I thought the US only got 3.
niyad
(119,182 posts)to ever mention her incarceration, so not surprised they do not seem to be mentioning her now.
Seeing this now.
Response to niyad (Reply #10)
drray23 This message was self-deleted by its author.
Disaffected
(4,983 posts)I wonder if this means Putin has soured on Trump (not waiting until he is elected to do the deal)?
BComplex
(8,980 posts)Don't know why, don't care! But it has been apparent to me for a month or so.
Response to Disaffected (Reply #6)
BComplex This message was self-deleted by its author.
thesquanderer
(12,286 posts)1. Putin didn't trust Trump to have the skills necessary to successfully complete the multi-country deal without somehow screwing it up, and/or
2. the other countries indicated to Putin their own hesitancies about being able to do the deal with Trump in the mix, and insisted that the deal had to happen now, with Biden, or it would be unlikely to happen at all.
Disaffected
(4,983 posts)And/or maybe Putin wanted one of his back now, badly enough to do the deal.
LetMyPeopleVote
(153,746 posts)newdeal2
(800 posts)He is more than capable to do the job. His record does merit a second term.
wnylib
(24,103 posts)et tu
(1,861 posts)but maybe joe can do what he wants to do while
kamala is free to campaign and still safeguard democracy
through the inauguration~
Johnny2X2X
(21,417 posts)No one has gotten more accomplished.
progressoid
(50,651 posts)niyad
(119,182 posts)i bet hes pulling the plug on his efforts to sway the election, too. too many of his ppl r getting caught anyway.
GreenWave
(8,832 posts)mucifer
(24,668 posts)work well with Germany the way President Biden can.
CrispyQ
(37,980 posts)ProudMNDemocrat
(18,854 posts)Well done, Mr. President!
surfered
(2,615 posts)niyad
(119,182 posts)as did several other nations. In reading the articles, one can see some of who we exchanged.
nolabear
(43,072 posts)If hes smart hell start trying to court Kamala now, because tfg is dead and gone.
underpants
(186,184 posts)Make sure all those ketchup bottles are popped right in front of you Orange Turd.
nolabear
(43,072 posts)Im sure well know more later but youre right. Its been in the works for a long time.
dchill
(40,146 posts)He wouldn't have to. All he needed to do is hint at a promise. Now that's no longer operative.
TwilightZone
(27,955 posts)He likes to brag that he would do things that aren't even in his power to impress his followers. This time, it bit him in the ass.
I'm not sure why anyone ever takes anything he says at face value. There's always an agenda, and he's almost always lying.
LetMyPeopleVote
(153,746 posts)Link to tweet
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/08/01/statement-by-president-joe-biden-on-securing-the-release-of-americans-detained-in-russia/
The deal that secured their freedom was a feat of diplomacy. All told, weve negotiated the release of 16 people from Russiaincluding five Germans and seven Russian citizens who were political prisoners in their own country. Some of these women and men have been unjustly held for years. All have endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty. Today, their agony is over.
I am grateful to our Allies who stood with us throughout tough, complex negotiations to achieve this outcome including Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Turkey. This is a powerful example of why its vital to have friends in this world whom you can trust and depend upon. Our alliances make Americans safer.
And let me be clear: I will not stop working until every American wrongfully detained or held hostage around the world is reunited with their family. My Administration has now brought home over 70 such Americans, many of whom were in captivity since before I took office. Still, too many families are suffering and separated from their loved ones, and I have no higher priority as President than bringing those Americans home.
Today, we celebrate the return of Paul, Evan, Alsu, and Vladimir and rejoice with their families. We remember all those still wrongfully detained or held hostage around the world. And reaffirm our pledge to their families: We see you. We are with you. And we will never stop working to bring your loved ones home where they belong.
###
liberalla
(9,878 posts)samnsara
(18,241 posts)....wiped out....
ancianita
(38,090 posts)orangecrush
(21,240 posts)Who would have much preferred Vlad keeping these prisoners until right before the election, when he would announce a deal with Trump and release them after, like Reagan with the hostages in Iran.
Has Putin written Trump off?
NBachers
(18,011 posts)58Sunliner
(4,937 posts)LetMyPeopleVote
(153,746 posts)malaise
(277,353 posts)Still laughing
calimary
(83,904 posts)He knows hes leaving next January, but hes still using his remaining Oval Office time to get some truly meaningful things done now.
He is a GREAT man.
Doodley
(10,144 posts)NBachers
(18,011 posts)liberalla
(9,878 posts)Should be a BIG deal on MSM too...
jayschool2013
(2,455 posts)Let's make sure that the WSJ reporter and other journalists in the U.S. aren't targeted and criminalized by Kash Patel, Trump's likely attorney general, who has promised to do just that.
GOTV!
Cha
(304,419 posts)What Happened?!
COL Mustard
(6,806 posts)Youve outlived your usefulness to Moscow.
moondust
(20,371 posts)I'm guessing he's paying attention and knows his little orange puppet ain't gonna get back on the throne.
He can read the poisoned tea leaves.
He's crumpling Trumpsky up like an empty cigarette pack.
LetMyPeopleVote
(153,746 posts)PennRalphie
(257 posts)His foreign policy experience is unmatched. Total congratulations to our President and VP for getting these people home.
This gives Kamala great momentum on the foreign policy front!
ToxMarz
(2,233 posts)the next President Harris's rath and convinced of her inevitable election would rather not have to face off with her on this.
Really, if other people say this, many people are saying this!
wordstroken
(629 posts)Thank you, Joe Biden!!
gademocrat7
(11,104 posts)He and Vice President Harris quietly worked tirelessly to get the hostages out of Russia. He sang Happy Birthday to one of hostages children.