1/ Russia freed wrongly convicted journalist Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan as part of the largest prisoner swap since the Cold War. In total, four Americans, seven Russian political prisoners, and five Germans were released from Russia in exchange for eight Russians who had been imprisoned in the U.S., Germany, Norway, Slovenia, and Poland. The most notable prisoner released in the swap is Vadim Krasikov, a convicted Russian assassin who received a life sentence for the 2019 murder of a former Chechen separatist fighter in Germany. Biden called the swap “a feat of diplomacy,” and “a powerful example of why it’s vital to have friends in this world whom you can trust and depend on.” After the prisoner exchange took place at the international airport in Ankara, Turkey, Biden said: “And now their brutal ordeal is over and they’re free.” Later, when asked about Trump’s repeated claims he could’ve gotten the hostages out of Russia without concessions, Biden replied: “Why didn’t he do it when he was president?” (Wall Street Journal / Associated Press / Axios / CNN / NPR / New York Times / Washington Post / NBC News / Politico)
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2024/08/01/day-1290/