New report claims Donald Trump's potential second term indirectly facilitated US-Russia prisoner swap

WASHINGTON, DC: The prisoner swap that freed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and fifteen other individuals from Russia was made possible in large part by the German government, particularly Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Furthermore, it has been revealed that former president Donald Trump had an indirect role in the talks.

Lead negotiator and German intelligence officer Philipp Wolff "saw an opening" when his Russian counterparts stated they wished to reach an agreement prior to November's US presidential election, according to a Wall Street Journal story.

 

The outlet reported that "Some officials deduced that the Russians were either concerned about an unpredictable Donald Trump coming again to the presidency, or they feared that [Chancellor Olaf] Scholz would no longer be willing to help a president who rarely misses an opportunity to criticize Germany."

Joe Biden was 'personally engaged' in diplomatic efforts to bring 3 American citizens

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Thursday that President Joe Biden was "personally engaged" in diplomatic efforts to return three American citizens, including Gershkovich, home.

But the exchange, that finally resulted in the release of 16 German, American, and Russian individuals detained by the Russian Federation, happened with the assistance provided by German Chancellor Scholz and other world leaders.

Donald Trump earlier declared that he'd bring Evan Gershkovich to the US

In a potential second term, Donald Trump promised to bring Evan Gershkovich home, as he stated earlier this year.

"The reporter should be released, and he will be released," Trump said during an interview with TIME published in April. "I don’t know if he’s going to be released under [President] Biden. I would get him released."

Donald Trump calls prisoner swap a 'win' for Russian President Vladimir Putin

During an interview with Maria Bartiromo of Fox News, Donald Trump referred to the agreement that regarded Evan Gershkovich and other US citizens imprisoned in Russia as a "win" for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"As usual, it was a win for Putin or any other country that deals with us, but we got somebody back, so I'm never going to be challenging that," he told Bartiromo.

The former US president further added, "It wouldn't have happened with us. We would have gotten him back. We wouldn't have had to pay anything. We wouldn't have had to let some of the great killers of the world go, because that's what's happened, as you know. And the deal is very complex because it just came out. So nobody understands the deal yet, and they make it complex so you can't understand how bad the deal is for us."

German security strongly opposed the Germany-Russia prisoner swap deal

The Journal reported that members of the German security apparatus and diplomatic corps strongly opposed the agreement made by the German government to exchange Russian assassin Vadim Krasikov for the release of inmates.

According to one of the inmates released during the exchange, the German government succeeded in achieving its main objective, which was to save a human life. "Nothing can be more important in a normal, human, democratic government than saving a human life," democracy activist Vladimir Kara-Murza said, who was one of the prisoners who was greeted by Scholz at the airport.

One senior official described a breakthrough meeting in early spring during which the Germans disclosed they might be willing to trade Krasikov for many persons, indicating how stressful the bargaining process was. "We made it clear: We are ready, but only if the price is right," a senior official told The Journal. 

Internet criticizes WSJ's new report for crediting Donald Trump in the prisoner exchange deal

Netizens mocked the Wall Street Journal's report for highlighting a possible role of Donald Trump in negotiating a deal between Russia and the US during the prisoner swap.

One X user tweeted, "Trump’s possible return is now messing with international prisoner swaps? It’s outrageous that something as crucial as a prisoner exchange is getting dragged into the political mud. This kind of manipulation is exactly why people lose faith in the whole system."

"Haha. What a joke. Trump trying to lay claim for the Russian prisoner release!! I find this hysterical. Who would ever even believe this BS," added one.

"Trump possibly returning to office triggered sell-off in markets across the globe. Investors are hedging bets by reaping profits in case he wins and tanks the US economy...," opined another. 

"I actually took it the other way. I think the Russians agreed to the swap because they know Trump is going to lose," remarked someone else.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.