Prisoner Swap Deal: A Diplomatic Win or Political Gamble for Biden

August 1, WASHINGTON – In his final months in office, U.S. President Joe Biden may be able to enhance his foreign policy legacy with the largest prisoner exchange between Russia and the West in decades, which may also benefit Vice President Kamala Harris in her presidential campaign.

On Thursday, Russia freed American journalist Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan.

The exchange included at least twenty captives of prisoners freed from seven nations: the United States, Norway, Germany, Poland, Russia, Belarus, and Slovenia. The agreement was reached at the Ankara airport and mediated by Turkey.

“The agreement that guaranteed their liberty was an impressive display of diplomacy,” stated President Joe Biden upon declaring the meeting.

“We have successfully secured the release of sixteen individuals from Russia, comprising five German nationals and seven Russian citizens detained for political reasons within their nation. Many of these men and women have been wrongfully detained for many years. Everyone has experienced unspeakable pain and uncertainty. Their suffering is ended today,” he remarked.


To be clear, I won’t stop working until their families are reunited with every American who has been illegally detained or kept captive abroad. President Biden continued, “My government has already returned over 70 such Americans home, many of whom were held captive since before I took office.“

Official Joe Biden statement- (4) President Biden on X: “Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza are coming home. https://t.co/wWGA83Ss8A” / X

While Moscow received their set of returning detainees, some of them being females. The Russians were accused of major crimes, U.S. believed that the American detainees in Russia were wrongfully arrested. Some analysts fear this could lead to an increase in hostage-taking by U.S. adversaries. Biden was soon the target of criticism from Republicans due to this worry.

The difficult, multi-country prisoner swap with Moscow on Thursday offered a much-needed foreign policy victory amid heightened global tensions, even though Biden’s record on the international scene is going to be greatly shaped by the wars in the Middle East, opens a new tab, and Ukraine.

Reaching a historic agreement was made more challenging by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, where the United States is equipping Kyiv to fight off a Russian invasion, bringing relations between Moscow and Washington to their lowest point since the end of the Cold War.

However, analysts note that in addition to fighting off Republican criticism of the agreement, Biden will need to put in a lot of effort to ensure that his legacy on foreign policy is preserved for future generations. Biden has an uneven foreign policy record. In contrast to Trump’s doubts, he has effectively repaired ties with NATO and Asian allies.

However, the unresolved situation in Ukraine, the war in Gaza, growing hostilities with China over Taiwan, and the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan remain formidable obstacles for his administration. Furthermore, recent occurrences like the contested election in Venezuela and a worldwide Republican campaign narrative emphasizing chaos under Biden cloud his foreign policy record.

Team Profile

Mohammad Kaif ZaidiNews Writer

Mohammad Kaif Zaidi is a student of MA Mass Communication and Journalism at Aligarh Muslim University. His background is strongly backed by his previous experience in the vibrant spectrum of mass communication and journalism. He possesses a creative and technical personality with a robust approach towards his work.

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