Cogito Ergo Non Serviam
Biden Arranges Multilateral Prisoner Swap
Yesterday, Joe Biden proved that he is still up to the job of president and that he is one of the better executives to hold that office. The final curtain fell on a prisoner exchange that has been in the works for months. Russia, the US, Belarus, Germany, Slovenia, Poland and Norway all participated in the trade. The Russians got 8 of their murderers and hackers. The West got 16 journalists, human rights activists and innocent civilians back. There will be some debate about whether the trade was fair, and there are still others behind the Second Iron Curtain who need to be free as well. Yet this showed that Mr. Biden is the most effective leader the West has seen in years.
The deal reminded one of the Cold War when spies were swapped on bridges between West and East Germany. There were a great many moving parts, and getting everyone on board took a great deal of persuading. Mr Biden, and Vice President Harris, pulled it off.
The key was the release from Germany of Vadim Krasikov. The Associated Press reported, "Krasikov was convicted for the Aug. 23, 2019, killing of Zelimkhan 'Tornike' Khangoshvili, a 40-year-old Georgian citizen who had fought Russian troops in Chechnya and later claimed asylum in Germany." The wire service also noted that he had the help of Russian authorities including a fake ID, passport and resources to carry out the murder.
For obvious reasons, the Germans were loathe to let him go. The original price for his release was the freedom of Alexei Navalny, whom the Russian authorities killed in the gulag. When Mr. Navalny died, the deal took on water and was in danger of sinking. Yet, the logjam broke when President Biden made a personal appeal to Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The chancellor agreed as a personal favor. "For you, I will do it," he is reported to have told the president
Deutsche Welle reported "It was not easy for anyone to make this decision to deport a murderer sentenced to life imprisonment after only a few years in prison," said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who interrupted his summer vacation to greet some of the released prisoners upon their arrival in Germany . . . .
"That is why it was important to us that we have an obligation to protect German nationals as well as solidarity with the United States," Scholz said, adding that both he and German opposition leader Friedrich Merz agreed with the decision.
An hour before he announced he would not be continuing his pursuit of a second term, the president was on the phone to the PM of Slovenia trying to nail down that part of the arrangement. That is the sign of an individual who can compartmentalize issues and problems in such a way that he can deal with more than one at a time.
Thanks to his diplomatic expertise and persistence people are free today who should never have seen the inside of a prison.
Evan Gershkovich of the Wall Street Journal was in Russia as an accredited reporter, not a spy. In fact, being a reporter is lousy cover for a spy.
Alsu Kurmasheva of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty had gone to visit family, and she was arrested for what she might have reported on Ukraine when she was physically in Belgium. Russia apparently does not follow the laws of territorial sovereignty.
Paul Whelan, a retired Marine, is also free. He began his journey through the Russian penal system when he went to a friend's wedding in Russia.
Vladimir Kara-Murza, who holds a green card, is a human rights activist. He can now pursue freedom for Russia outside the gulag.
© Copyright 2024 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.
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