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'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 Biden administration has secured the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan from Russian prisons as part of a prisoner swap, which wipes away one of Donald Trump's baffling campaign promises.
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 Trump’s 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 doesn’t have the leverage he thought he did."
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 Trump’s 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 doesn’t have the leverage he thought he did."
61 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
but maybe joe can do what he wants to do while
kamala is free to campaign and still safeguard democracy
through the inauguration~ 
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/
Today, three American citizens and one American green-card holder who were unjustly imprisoned in Russia are finally coming home: Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza.
The deal that secured their freedom was a feat of diplomacy. All told, we’ve negotiated the release of 16 people from Russia—including 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 it’s 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.
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The deal that secured their freedom was a feat of diplomacy. All told, we’ve negotiated the release of 16 people from Russia—including 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 it’s 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.
###
