Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich walked free Thursday as part of the largest East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War — in what could be seen as a big victory of the Joe Biden administration. Joe Biden said the prisoner swap is a powerful example of why it’s vital to have friends in this world — as he credited the allies for the multi-country swap deal that set two dozen people free.
The countries involved in the swap deal were US, Russia, Belarus and Germany. Norway, Slovenia, Poland became part of the deal as they has custody of additional Russians included in the exchange, Turkey provided critical logistic support in the deal.
Evan Gershkovich was arrested on charges of espionage that both the US government and the Wall Street Journal denied but Kremlin insisted that he was caught spying red-handed.
‘Inside the secret Negotiations to free Evan Gershkovich’
The Wall Street Journal published a detailed account of what went behind all these months Geshkovich was inside a jail in Russia culminating on Thursday when Evan’s monther Ella arrived for an urgent 10.30am meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House. Today was the 491st day of her son’s detention and she was asked to bring her husband and her daughter. The only instruction was: Tell no one.
‘Would Putin be willing to sit down for an interview?’
WSJ reported that Evan Gerskovich had to put in an official request for presidential clemency address to Putin. He added a request if after his release he would be allowed to take an interview of Putin. “The pro forma printout included a long blank space the prisoner could fill out if desired, or simply, as expected, leave blank. In the formal high Russian he had honed over 16 months imprisonment, the Journal’s Russia correspondent filled the page. The last line submitted a proposal of his own: After his release, would Putin be willing to sit down for an interview?” the WSJ report said.
‘Are we also paying them cash’: Donald Trump
Former US president Donald Trump who recently said Putin would free Gerskovich only for Trump after he becomes the president questioned that deal that got the WSJ journalist freed. He pressed for details of the prisoner swap and asked whether Russia was also paid in cash.
“So when are they going to release the details of the prisoner swap with Russia? How many people do we get versus them? Are we also paying them cash? Are they giving us cash (Please withdraw that question, because I’m sure the answer is NO)? Are we releasing murderers, killers, or thugs? Just curious because we never make good deals, at anything, but especially hostage swaps. Our “negotiators” are always an embarrassment to us! I got back many hostages, and gave the opposing Country NOTHING – and never any cash. To do so is bad precedent for the future. That’s the way it should be, or this situation will get worse and worse. They are extorting the United States of America. They’re calling the trade “complex” – That’s so nobody can figure out how bad it is!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
The countries involved in the swap deal were US, Russia, Belarus and Germany. Norway, Slovenia, Poland became part of the deal as they has custody of additional Russians included in the exchange, Turkey provided critical logistic support in the deal.
Evan Gershkovich was arrested on charges of espionage that both the US government and the Wall Street Journal denied but Kremlin insisted that he was caught spying red-handed.
‘Inside the secret Negotiations to free Evan Gershkovich’
The Wall Street Journal published a detailed account of what went behind all these months Geshkovich was inside a jail in Russia culminating on Thursday when Evan’s monther Ella arrived for an urgent 10.30am meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House. Today was the 491st day of her son’s detention and she was asked to bring her husband and her daughter. The only instruction was: Tell no one.
‘Would Putin be willing to sit down for an interview?’
WSJ reported that Evan Gerskovich had to put in an official request for presidential clemency address to Putin. He added a request if after his release he would be allowed to take an interview of Putin. “The pro forma printout included a long blank space the prisoner could fill out if desired, or simply, as expected, leave blank. In the formal high Russian he had honed over 16 months imprisonment, the Journal’s Russia correspondent filled the page. The last line submitted a proposal of his own: After his release, would Putin be willing to sit down for an interview?” the WSJ report said.
‘Are we also paying them cash’: Donald Trump
Former US president Donald Trump who recently said Putin would free Gerskovich only for Trump after he becomes the president questioned that deal that got the WSJ journalist freed. He pressed for details of the prisoner swap and asked whether Russia was also paid in cash.
“So when are they going to release the details of the prisoner swap with Russia? How many people do we get versus them? Are we also paying them cash? Are they giving us cash (Please withdraw that question, because I’m sure the answer is NO)? Are we releasing murderers, killers, or thugs? Just curious because we never make good deals, at anything, but especially hostage swaps. Our “negotiators” are always an embarrassment to us! I got back many hostages, and gave the opposing Country NOTHING – and never any cash. To do so is bad precedent for the future. That’s the way it should be, or this situation will get worse and worse. They are extorting the United States of America. They’re calling the trade “complex” – That’s so nobody can figure out how bad it is!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Source : Times of India
