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According to the Trump campaign, Joe Biden is senile, and Kamala Harris isn’t smart enough. Of course that’s not true, but if you need more than just common sense to figure it out, here’s the evidence. Yesterday the Biden Administration orchestrated the biggest “prisoner swap” since the end of the Cold War (for those who don’t see the Cold War as “current events”, 1991).
Three American citizens were finally released from Russia custody and returned to American soil. Evan Gerschkovich, is a reporter for the Wall Street Journal falsely convicted of espionage. Paul Whelan a former US Marine was convicted of espionage in 2018. And Alsu Kurmasheva, is a journalist for Radio Free Europe, who was arrested when she went to Russia to visit her ailing mother.
In addition, several high profile Russian activists, including Vladimir Kara-Murza were released. Ilya Yashin, Oleg Orlov, Kevin Lik (a dual Russian/German citizen), Aleksandra Skochilenko, Andrei Pivovarov, Kesnia Fadeyeva, Demuri Vorinin (Russian/German), Vadim Ostanin and Lilia Chanysheva gained their freedom. Two other German citizens, Patrick Schoebel and German Myozhes were released as well.
Another German citizen, Rico Kreiger, held in Belarus was released as part of the deal.
Price
The “price” for their freedom was steep. Germany released Vadim Krasikov, a Russian assassin serving a life sentence. Norway released Mikhail Mikushin, a Russian spy. The US released Vladislav Klysuhin an “inside trader”, Vadin Knonschchenok, a Russian spy who tried to steal US electronic components, and Roman Seleznyov, held for credit card fraud.
Slovenia released Dultseva and Artyom Dultsev, a married couple with children who were a “deep cover” spy family (think the TV series The Americans).
And Poland released Pablo Gonzalez (Pavel Rubtsov), a dual Spanish/Russian journalist accused of spying for Russia.
Sure it reads like the first chapter of War and Peace. But the reason that the “swap” was able to happen, is that it became inclusive. The United States got some of their citizens back (some still remain in Russian custody) and gave up three Russian criminals. Germany got five back, but gave up an assassin serving a life sentence. Slovenia and Poland didn’t get a quid-pro-quo return at all, but cooperated with their NATO allies.
And a number of Russian activists opposed to the Putin regime were freed from the “gulag”. They ended up in Germany, and their voices will soon be heard.
World Leadership
The United States, Germany, Slovenia, Poland, Russia, Belarus, and Turkey (the “neutral” hub for the exchange) were all involved in this complex negotiation, that went on for several months maybe even years. (Alexi Navalny, the most famous of Putin’s opponents who died suspiciously in a Russian prison several months ago was originally part of the deal).
From the United States’ side, the negotiations were led by the State Department and the White House National Security Council. But the CIA, and the FBI were also involved. And all of that coordination, both within the US Government and all of the multi-national interrelations, required more than just the “bureaucrats” to get it done. It took cooperation and decision making at the highest levels, the “principals”; the President and Vice President. And it took leaders willing to take the risk that it all might fall apart, and willing to take the heat – some US citizens remain in Russian custody. (Six total, including Mark Fogel, a school teacher for the US Embassy in Moscow).
It took a President of the United States with the relationship to get on the phone with the Chancellor of Germany and persuade him to give up a cold-blooded assassin. It took a leader of NATO who could go to the leaders of Poland, Norway and Turkey and ask “a favor”. And, it took a world leader, regardless of his age, to get this done.
Joe Biden is no longer running for President. But in the hours before he made that fateful decision public, he wasn’t ruminating over his choice. He was on the phone, finalizing part of this incredibly complex negotiation. The United States is in good hands for the next six months. And, we hope, that Vice President Kamala Harris will continue his world leadership for the next four years.
