Russia Releases U.S. Citizens Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and Alsu Kurmasheva in Prisoner Swap
The timing is interesting considering the political climate in America.
Fox News reported that Russia has agreed to release Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, veteran Paul Whelan, and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva in a prisoner swap.
The entire deal consisted of 24 people and six countries:
Moscow also released former Marine Paul Whelan, journalist Alsu Kurmasheva and Vladimir Kara-Murza, a British-Russian dissident and Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, sentenced to 25 years in prison on treason-related charges. Russia also released a number of political dissidents.
The sweeping deal involved 24 prisoners and at least six countries, and came together after months of negotiations at the highest levels of governments in the U.S., Russia and Germany, whose prisoner, Russian hit man Vadim Krasikov, emerged as the linchpin to the arrangement.
“The deal that secured their freedom was a feat of diplomacy,” President Biden said moments after their release. “Some of these women and men have been unjustly held for years. All have endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty. Today, their agony is over.”
White House officials, U.S. diplomats and personnel from the CIA had crisscrossed Europe and the Middle East looking for friendly governments willing to release the Russian spies in their custody in return for Americans held by the Kremlin.
Krasikov received a life sentence by a “German court in 2021 for killing a Georgian asylee who had fought against Russians in Chechnya.”
The judges ruled the Russian federal authorities ordered the murder. They described it as “state terrorism.”
The deal included three Russians in American prisons: Vadim Konoshchenok, Vladislav Klyushin, and Roman Seleznyov.
The other Russians were in Slovenia, Poland, and Norway.
All of the Russian prisoners have ties to Russian intelligence.
Unlike the Russian prisoners, Gershkovich, Whelan, and Kurmasheva didn’t do anything.
Russia charged Gershkovich with espionage and sentenced him to 16 years.
Whelan received a 16-year prison sentence in 2020 for supposed espionage.
In 2023, Russia accused Kurmasheva, who has Russian and U.S. citizenship, of “disseminating false information about Russia’s military.”
A Russian court sentenced her to six and a half years in prison this year.
The Biden administration said Russia wrongfully detained Gershkovich and Whelan but not Kurmasheva.
However, the administration demanded her release in April.
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Comments
Yup, that’s how’s it’s done. We catch their spies, they catch ours, both sides deny and accuse, the spies cool their heels for a few years, and then they are exchanged.
Nothing new.
I wonder if the Glienicke Bridge is still available for the exchange…
How much did Biden pay? How much credit will Kamala claim?
Funny how this happened just in time for the election.
Well, this “happened too”
This should be plastered all over Trumps teleprompter in every speech he gives till the end of time!
9/11, we never will forget!!!
https://nypost.com/2024/07/31/us-news/9-11-mastermind-ksm-and-two-other-terrorists-awaiting-trial-on-guantanamo-bay-strike-plea-deals/
I don’t think this will help the black Indian very much
Interesting that her family, especially her father says there is no black blood in their genetics, but black is gold these days, more so apparently then Indian
Meanwhile, the two Jordanian illegal aliens – both with TIES TO TERRORISM – who were caught trying to penetrate the perimeter of MCB Quantico, have been RELEASED from federal custody after posting bail. Are you effing kidding me?
https://x.com/nypost/status/1818953841611505705
They don’t want Trump to get credit for it in January. Cheers –
Yep.
They need to neutralize Trump’s talking point about being better on getting Americans home too.
Putin is no dummy – well maybe he is – but he knows he won’t get a better deal with Trump either.
I wonder how many hidden billions this one will cost in addition to the swap.
Thanks Morons. It’s now open season on kidnapping American citizens for leverage. This is historically, the most proven method to make the US government bend.
Morons. The answer is 100-fold retribution, not capitulation.
fjb has plenty of friends in the russian government is the real story
I would wager the Ukraine war will end in October
When I first heard the report, Russia wasn’t mentioned, and I suspected Biden had swapped the recently reprieved Gitmo inmates for Americans held by Iran.
“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’m sure they were all cheering for you from their cells when you moved heaven and earth to cut short Britney Griner’s unpleasant hotel stay.
Wonder what the real price to be paid is.