US, Russia agree to prisoner swap to release Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan and others

Developing story -- CBS News

They are expected to be in US custody later today. Turkey is acting as an intermediary.

What Russia is getting back is unclear.

Sounds like it's a large deal, multiple other prisoners involved. Reportedly involves additional countries.

Not a lot of info about details and additional names yet.

ETA: What's interesting to me is the timing. Not long after Harris announces and is looking good in the polls. Our enemies may have been thinking they needed to get away with whatever they could in the last few months of the Biden administration while the US was weak. Now they may be thinking they might be able to get another 4 years of weakness if they help Harris. Giving the Biden-Harris administration some foreign policy wins could be part of a strategy to help Harris win.

If Iran dials back their response to Israel, it would look even more like that's the case.

a reply to: YourFaceAgain

this is a win for Joe Biden. It's a shame it took this long, but I'm glad to see these men free from their political prison.

a reply to: YourFaceAgain

These are the same people that traded the merchant of death for a griner.

Don't forget the same people coordinated Obama's trade of 5 Taliban chiefs for the deserter Bergdahl.

And just gave a plea deal to the Sept 11th terrorist planner.

They don't have a track record that inspires confidence.

a reply to: network dude
Maybe Tucker Carlsons plea might have helped in some way ?

a reply to: YourFaceAgain

Since you mentioned the politics angle, here's my view on things. Just a few weeks ago Trump was bragging about how the only way Gershkovich is going to get released is if he's President.

Fast forward and now Biden's out of the race and Harris is coming in hot. I think Putin lost faith in Trump winning the Presidency and offering him a sweetheart deal so he decided to take what was on the table worried the next deal would be worse for him.

a reply to: Threadbarer

You just got caught lying about something absolutely silly in another thread. You get caught lying on here on a daily basis. You have no credibility. I don't care what you think. Didn't even finish reading it. I'm not gonna respond to you any further in this thread because you're an obvious troll.

a reply to: Threadbarer

So Putin, who is holding the American hostages and all the cards in Ukraine decided that he needed to give Biden a win?


...sound logic...

The Russian government is pretty much known for using U.S. citizens as bargaining chips, this actually favors Russia.

a reply to: wAnchorofCarp

Putin is doing so well in Ukraine that he had to pull his fleet completely out even though Ukraine doesn't have a Navy.

Based on Trump's words, he clearly thought he had something worked out with Putin. Well something clearly changed that made Putin think that relying on Trump isn't his best course of action.

a reply to: Threadbarer

Putin is doing so well in Ukraine that he had to pull his fleet completely out even though Ukraine doesn't have a Navy.

I peeked at the map this morning. It's mostly unchanged in two years.

But I do enjoy your Ghost of Kiev stories.

Based on Trump's words, he clearly thought he had something worked out with Putin. Well something clearly changed that made Putin think that relying on Trump isn't his best course of action.

2 in exchange for 8.

I guess asking you to do math is even more problematic than simple logic.

Apologies.

originally posted by: watchitburn
a reply to: YourFaceAgain

These are the same people that traded the merchant of death for a griner.

Don't forget the same people coordinated Obama's trade of 5 Taliban chiefs for the deserter Bergdahl.

And just gave a plea deal to the Sept 11th terrorist planner.

They don't have a track record that inspires confidence.

Exactly.
Biden Harris foreign policy of appeasement and weakness.
I’m sure there’s more n store before they’re bounced in January.
They have to sabotage the next administration and lay all sorts of boobytraps and snares before they leave.
I’m sure this is the just tip of the iceberg.

So after some of them spent years in the gulag now they get a deal done just in time for election season.

I am guessing they gave putin some big time promises to pull this off.

Of course even though biden is still president the media will run with it as a harris decision.

and the koolaid drinkers will lap it up.

I wont celebrate till we know the other side of the coin, we gave up the merchant of death for one idiotic basketball player, god knows what was given up for multiple people heading into an election with a party desperate for anything resembling a win.

a reply to: Irishhaf

Looks like the deal was brokered by Turkey and the negotiations involved other countries not just the US.

It's good that these people are free.

a reply to: Oldcarpy2

100% glad they are free.

I am still concerned about the flip side, a political party in desperate need of a tangible win, last time we saw this type of situation heading into an election a country was destroyed.

I am very concerned.

originally posted by: Irishhaf
a reply to: Oldcarpy2

100% glad they are free.

I am still concerned about the flip side, a political party in desperate need of a tangible win, last time we saw this type of situation heading into an election a country was destroyed.

I am very concerned.

Exactly. Very glad these folks are coming home. It's about time. But what did we give up for an obvious campaign move?

a reply to: wAnchorofCarp

Day 890 out of a 3-day operation and the only thing Putin has to show for it is tens of thousands of dead soldiers and a useless fleet.

Oh yeah, he's got Ukraine well in hand.

a reply to: wAnchorofCarp

I was incorrect in the number of people being bargained for:

In a major diplomatic maneuver, Turkish intelligence facilitated the exchange of 26 prisoners from seven countries, including Russia, the U.S., Germany, and Belarus, at Ankara airport. Ten prisoners were sent to Russia, thirteen to Germany, and three to the U.S., in what is one of the largest recent operations of its kind.

Link

originally posted by: Threadbarer
a reply to: wAnchorofCarp

Day 890 out of a 3-day operation and the only thing Putin has to show for it is tens of thousands of dead soldiers and a useless fleet.

Oh yeah, he's got Ukraine well in hand.

If only your characterization was set anywhere in the realm of reality.

The west is afire, and US dollars are being set afire in Ukraine.

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originally posted by: wAnchorofCarp

originally posted by: Threadbarer
a reply to: wAnchorofCarp

Day 890 out of a 3-day operation and the only thing Putin has to show for it is tens of thousands of dead soldiers and a useless fleet.

Oh yeah, he's got Ukraine well in hand.

If only your characterization was set anywhere in the realm of reality.

The west is afire, and US dollars are being set afire in Ukraine.

The only people who have ever said Russia's invasion of Ukraine was meant to be a 3-day operation, or even just a few weeks, have been in the West. I've never seen any evidence that Putin intended for it to be that quick. That was just flat-out made up by the Western media. And it would be completely antithetical to how Russia has always fought wars, including previous wars under Putin. They're always about a slow grind of attrition until the West's short attention span gets used up and they can get concessions, which appears to be exactly where Ukraine is headed.

Now I'll just get called a Putin stooge for stating facts. You don't have to be rooting for Putin to observe the obvious. I did a thread on this 2 years ago at the start of the war talking about how many parts of the official narrative from the West actually contradict each other. That doesn't mean Russia was right to invade.