One of the largest prisoner exchanges since the end of the Soviet Union occurred this past Thursday, involving the United States and Russia. This exchange resulted in the release of Evan Gershkovich, an American journalist, Paul Whelan, a fellow American, and several other dissidents like Vladimir Kara-Murza. All of this was part of a larger deal, setting free a total of two dozen people, according to the White House announcement.
This ‘achievement’ is being lauded as a ‘diplomatic victory’ by the Biden administration, which has clung onto any semblance of a win amidst growing criticism from his own populace. President Biden, in his characteristic fashion, sought to spin the situation as an ‘extraordinary relief’, signaling the end of a ‘brutal ordeal’ for the detainees.
Biden, in his White House address, asserted that this prisoner exchange serves as a powerful testament to the importance of having ‘allies’. He made this grand proclamation while flanked by families of the four released individuals, comprising of three Americans and a green card holder, clearly aiming to cast this action in a positive light.
The exchange came following years of clandestine negotiations, casually disregarding the cold, strained relations between Washington and Moscow after the Ukraine invasion by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February 2022. One wonders if the apparent success of this prisoner exchange doesn’t somehow legitimize or normalize such egregious actions.
This comprehensive prisoner exchange deal, engineered by Biden’s administration, arguably, marks another reward for the Russian regime. While similar swaps have taken place over the last couple of years, this scenario was different in that it involved significant concessions from other nations as well.
For weeks there had been a growing suspicion of a swap in the pipeline, driven by a range of unusual events. Chief among them was the strikingly swift trial and subsequent conviction of Gershkovich, a move the United States dismissed as a farcical sham. He found himself facing a harsh sixteen-year sentence in a maximum-security prison.
In a curious twist, Gershkovich was apprehended on March 29, 2023, during his reporting assignment in the Yekaterinburg city of the Ural Mountains. Yet, how quickly certain dilemmas resolve when one’s political career hinges on such ‘successes’.
It seems amusingly convenient that Biden suddenly prioritized the release of Americans who were wrongfully held abroad for his foreign policy strategy, merely six months before his tenure ends. Critics might well argue this is a calculated move designed to divert attention and paint a picture of competency in face of numerous failures.
Biden’s recent announcement of his decision to not seek re-election adds a new dimension to this charade. In the same monologue from his coveted Oval Office, he claimed, ‘We’re also working around the clock to bring home Americans being unjustly detained all around the world.’ One can only wonder how genuine this concern truly is, or if it is merely a swansong of a failing presidency.