Biden pulls off Russian prisoner swap

OMG! You show 'em ole man.

Wasn't he just given a 16 year sentence? Probably to set up the exchange, in some way I don't understand. Gotta get used to all these false arrests and corrupt negotiations etc. with the world filling up with authoritarians and outright dictators.

This is what Joe does. He has lost a step personally but his team has not missed a beat taking care of the shit this country needs taking care of.

Another triumph 😤! Who will portray Mighty Biden in the film?

I wouldn't call it a triumph, more like necessary evil thanks to careless Americans going to Russia where they know full well what might happen to them.

so, pootie sees the writing on the wall, or is fixing it for her.

Let's hope they're introduced on stage at the Democratic Convention, and they then in turn introduce Biden. Pandemonium. Let the joy overflow.

R4, Evan Gershkovich is an American journalist covering Russia. He is not a careless American going to Russia.

And yes, it is a triumph any time we secure the release of a wrongly jailed American citizen.

I think it is pretty certain that a Trump administration would not have made the effort.

So much for Trump's attempt at hostage taking (forgive the pun here) over this situation.

Any shirtless of the newly released prisoner?

Also r4, Wasn’t Paul Whelan there as part of his duties, and during Dump’s administration?

Nothing online in the Times or the Post. News must be embargoed in some manner for the moment.

Now it is showing up everywhere….odd delay by US media

I got alerts from the BBC and WSJ.

R12, r11 was probably right. The news was embargoed (maybe until the prisoners left Russian airspace), but some news organizations figured it out and ran with it. If their sources were outside the embargo, they will often run with a story despite an embargo.

[quote]News must be embargoed in some manner for the moment.

Indeed.

If I was Biden, I'd walk up to the podium at the DNC convention, flip everybody the bird, and tell everyone to go fuck their treacherous, backstabbing, two faced selves.

Way to go Uncle Joe!

[quote] Another triumph 😤! Who will portray Mighty Biden in the film?

Every administration gets prisoners released from somewhere, so don’t sound like nuts. If you want cases that resonate with Middle America, the men freed from Turks and Caicos who had been arrested for possessing ammo would be the best choices.

[quote] If I was Biden, I'd walk up to the podium at the DNC convention

TBH, if he can do that without assistance, that should also be considered a personal triumph.

This is the largest swap in decades, involving 4 countries and over a dozen prisoners. Get the facts.

[quote]TBH, if he can do that without assistance, that should also be considered a personal triumph.

Fuck you, R19!

Should US journalists stay out of Russia for now? It seems like this cute baldie from the WSJ got imprisoned and charged on the flimsiest of pretexts, i.e., Russia simply wanted a pawn so they took one.

I'm glad he is freed.

Not sure it's a point for Biden that he agreed to a prisoner swap very soon after a prominent journalist was convicted and jailed. Makes it seem as though Russia or whoever can simply jail an American and the US will immediately agree to a prisoner swap, with the US and the west returning all the jailed Russians that Russia was asking for.

This does also seem like a "confidence-building measure" in light of the upcoming negotiations though, which Zelenskyy has agreed to take part in without Russia being required to remove any troops from Ukraine.

[quote]If I was Biden, I'd walk up to the podium at the DNC convention, flip everybody the bird, and tell everyone to go fuck their treacherous, backstabbing, two faced selves.

Thankfully, Biden is not as petty, small and vindictive as you.

I would have had them released the day after they were taken. As a matter of fact, they would have never been taken had I been president. Sleepy Joe probably forgot that there were even hostages, except for the woman basketball player who wants to be a man.

Biden’s efforts have released dozens around the world. Not to toot his own horn, but there’s a very moving tribute set to Les Miserables “Bring Him Home” filled with images of former captives freed by the Biden administration. It’s extraordinary.

Hah Don-old. Paul Whelan was taken prisoner when you were president.

R23, it is never a good idea to leave U.S. citizens in Russian prisons. Russia has been pulling this hostage-taking routine for decades now, they will never change.

[quote] If you want cases that resonate with Middle America, the men freed from Turks and Caicos who had been arrested for possessing ammo would be the best choices.

Except there was proof those idiots broke the law and there are consequences for that. The story of Whelan and Gershkovitz has always been that these were flimsy espionage charges drawn from thin air and no evidence.

But go ahead… why don’t you free the Jan. 6 rioters while you’re at it? They were just tourists!

tRump must be soooooooooo pissed off. All his hollow rhetoric...ha ha ha ha. Well done Biden and your team.

Have Katy Tur and Chuck Todd been on to say how Biden negotiating this prisoner swap proves yet again what a he-man Trump is?

Joe is a master phone caller. Kamala needs to give him a diplomatic position.

Joe needs to spend the last part of his mental capacity and diplomatic cache to work out a deal for Hunter.

We Dems need to let Joe then retire gracefully…. As many of you screaming bitches were calling for just two weeks ago.

Hilarious. Republicsns only had two chips. 1) passing an immigration bill after Trump was elected and 2) Trump getting American hostages released after the election.

It appears that Vlado wanted to cut his losses early anticipating a Trump loss.

Memo to Dumb Shit Speaker of the House Moses Mike, bring the Lankford Border Bill back for a vote because ya ain't got shit for your down ticket to run on except driving children into starvation and poverty.

[quote] Hilarious. Republicsns only had two chips. 1) passing an immigration bill after Trump was elected and 2) Trump getting American hostages released after the election.

You don’t follow the election very closely, or at all, right?

Sorry, r35, I don't speak dumbass.

Historic Prisoner Swap!!!

CNN: Let's have our panel discuss the ways in which this really harms VP HArris's campaign?

R34, this is a message from Putin. It’s a bad review of Trump. Trump has screwed up and won’t be able to help Putin come to terms with Ukraine. It’s better to start working things out with the Democrats.

Imagine how pissed off the Saudis must be. I think that they just awarded a big real estate deal to Trump.

R16 were you recently diagnosed with dementia as well?

I'm not American but didn't Carter lose the election partly because of a complicated hostage situation? If so why would Putin give a hand to the Democrats and ease the situation on this front. I'm sorry but my uneducated guess is that Putin no longer believes that Trump can pull off a win at the election, so he just removed his thumb from the scale. I hope he does the same with his disinformation farms but I'm not holding my breath.

R40 again, stupid me didn't read R38 before posting and I just did a rehash of what he said. Oops. But yeah, Putin is writing Trump off. And he knows a lot more than we do.

r35 is also:

[quote]Every administration gets prisoners released from somewhere, so don’t sound like nuts. If you want cases that resonate with Middle America, the men freed from Turks and Caicos who had been arrested for possessing ammo would be the best choices.

Well to be fair to poor R35 the Republicans also have

1) Leaving crypto unregulated so criminal money laundering remains easy

2) Removing taxes on tips so that bribes to politicians, helpfully renamed gratuities by the corrupt Trump Supreme Court, will not be taxed.

3) all of Project 2025

4) and Vance’s special addition to project 2025, men get one extra vote for each rape baby they can sire.

See Republicans have so many positions to run on.

R43: I’m glad we agree that there are obviously more than the two “chips” that nitwit r34 stated were the “only” ones in this election.

Trump SNAPS, MELTS DOWN over surprise Kamala-Biden win

Right R43! Republicans have a multitude of sociopathic and unpopular positions to run on in addition to the two popular ones.

Perhaps, R38; but I read it differently.

Germany did not want to give up their hard fought for prisoner. They also - rightfully - despise tRump (for what he would do to NATO, among other things). Putin desperately wants his German prisoner back - possibly afraid he eventually might spill too much intel in return for leniency.

I suspect Germany finally acceded to Biden and Harris’s request to give Putie a “ten day only” window to get back his man, albeit, in return for a shitload of hostages.

Because Germany hates him, tRump, even if he were to win, couldn’t deliver that.

[quote] this is a message from Putin. It’s a bad review of Trump. Trump has screwed up and won’t be able to help Putin come to terms with Ukraine. It’s better to start working things out with the Democrats.

If Biden can bring about a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine, that would be great. It would be one less major issue for Harris to have to deal with if she is elected.

R45 He is implodinggggg. Ahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahgahshshhahahahha.

And Uncle Joe brilliant response

Maybe I watch too many movies, but this assassin that Germany just released back to Putin could be used to hrm leaders in Ukraine. Or maybe we planted a self destruct button in his ass and he'll explode when we push the button.

I'm feeling a little guilty I had no idea about these hostages even existing.

The news media are treating this like it's as big a story as Trump's assassination attempt or Biden stepping down.

Pawpaw rizz.

[quote] Every administration gets prisoners released from somewhere,

Which prisoners did Trump's administration get released?

Paul Manafort, R53. And Roger Stone.

Yeah, those are some winners.

R53, some Taliban prisoners.

[quote]The news media are treating this like it's as big a story as Trump's assassination attempt or Biden stepping down.

Wait a day.

Gift NYT article:

So nice of the NYT to concede "a measure of validation" to the president who revitalized the American economy and foreign policy.

The plane is expected to land at Andrews within the hour. Biden and Harris will be there to greet them.

The best part was when he asked why Trump didn't get them released when he was president. Forgetting that they were arrested while he was president.

R61 - Paul Whelan was taken prisoner when Trump was president.

R53 - here's a Trump fact-check on hostages he got freed. My favorite is where we exchanged 200 Houthi militants for two Americans.

[quote]Every administration gets prisoners released from somewhere, so don’t sound like nuts. If you want cases that resonate with Middle America, the men freed from Turks and Caicos who had been arrested for possessing ammo would be the best choices.

Yes, Turks and Caicos will certainly resonate with Middle American know we've spent trillions of dollars in a Cold War with them since 1948. And only 600 miles off the US coast!! I think it's time for your potato and bottle of vodka.

[quote]Yes, Turks and Caicos will certainly resonate with Middle American know we've spent trillions of dollars in a Cold War with them since 1948.

Have you been engaged in late night night drinking?

R63 - were you dropped on your head as a child?

Dustin, come back when you've sobered up.

R65 -Maybe English isn't your first language, but I'm sorry you're sarcasm impaired. I thought it was very clear I was mocking the Turks and Caicos poster. Did you really think I thought we spent trillions of dollars in a Cold War against Turks and Caicos? Did you not get the potato and vodka part?

r66, are you writing from a bar?

Putin pulls off a triumphant spy swap!

Donald Trump is such a stupid dumb cunt. He should withdraw from the presidential race. Daughterfucker is losing votes.

[quote]Turks and Caicos

I don't understand why several people have commented on this. My point is that the story of the men being arrested there was a really big story in Middle America, and it had their attention while the men were held, up through their release. I think the men were fairly arrested and convicted, but the point is that the story had the attention of Middle America.

[quote]I got back many hostages, and gave the opposing Country NOTHING – and never any cash.

r62 I'm beginning to believe Trump is a pathological liar. A sociopath knows better than to tell a lie that is easily debunked. This main literally believes his own bullshit. Or, it's dementia.

^ *man

Question: Now that he’s safely back home, does anyone know if (balding but still cute) Evan Gershkovich plays for our team?

R69 also daughter-in-law fucker. Don’t forget about Lara.

Biden is too senile to pull off anything nowadays.

Poor, poor R76.

R76, when you patently say things at that are the opposite of truth—see this entire thread for facts—you risk people thinking you’re a moron. Actually, it’s no risk at all.

Whatever happened to the cancer that Putin had?

Remember he was I'll?

Prisoner swaps are not clean and tidy things where USA triumphs and Russia loses.

Russia imprisons tennis players and journalists, the US and other countries imprison convicted Russian arms dealers and spies. Even allowing that some US citizens held by Russia could be spies, it's not remotely an even match of allegations among the two sets of prisoners. The Americans won back are won back at a high price and with some danger in putting them back in circulation in Russia. Of course I'm glad for the people Russia released, but it seems they know where to find a pawn or a dozen when it suits them.

R80, obviously the people who were released were innocent. The U.S. and Germany don’t seize random Russians and hold them hostage. There couldn’t be a like for like exchange and, yes, the release of innocent people is a win.

R73, thanks for the article, it's a good read. Cheers.

I think you're all missing the bigger picture, here.

The real issue to contend with is that we got Russia to agree to release 24 US prisoners before we got GTA 6.

r79, then, he doesn't want to admit HE, HIMSELF, was poisoned. Cancer recovery is a great cover.

I thought Putin had Parkinson's? He probably was given the stem cells from some poor now dead person and it alleviated his symptoms.

I'm still going with it was a cover for him recovering from a poisoning attempt.

Why?

Russia.

R70 - because your post is ridiculous and a lie. No Americans are being held in Turks and Caicos prisons. The were all tried, convicted, got suspended sentences, and returned to the US. Which is why I think you're really a bot because you don't know this and the way you use "Middle America."

It also diminishes Biden's accomplishment of getting seven allied countries and Russia to effect the release of 36 prisoners being held in eight countries. It took close to a year to achieve.

Trump must be so pissed off right now. Getting "sucker punched " by Biden and Harris, then the hostages.