It’s a sight that’s as rare as it is symbolic: Vladimir Putin, personally standing on the runway of Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport, waiting to greet a plane. But last night, that’s exactly what happened. The plane doors opened, and out stepped 10 Russians, freshly released from foreign jails in the most significant prisoner swap between Russia and the West since the Cold War.
The Biden team is playing the Russian prisoner swap as though it’s a massive victory. It’s great Americans are coming home. It’s pathetic that the only “victories” we supposedly win involve us trading murderers, terrorists and spies for innocent Americans.pic.twitter.com/umPnikML8A
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 2, 2024
The scene was almost theatrical. Emerging from the aircraft were spies, sleeper agents, and a convicted assassin, all met with a red carpet, a guard of honor, and bouquets of flowers. “Welcome back to the Motherland!” Putin declared, embracing some, including Vadim Krasikov, an FSB hitman serving a life sentence in Germany for assassinating a Georgian-born Chechen dissident.
Pro-Kremlin media seized the moment, broadcasting the swap as a monumental victory. Government papers highlighted the return of “eight Russians imprisoned in NATO countries,” swapped for individuals accused of threatening Russia’s national security. Meanwhile, Komsomolskaya Pravda disparaged the released dissidents, suggesting they had abandoned their homeland for foreign benefactors.
𝐍𝐄𝐖: The biggest prisoner swap since the Cold War could be underway including American journalist Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, and Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian-British dissident, all jailed in Russia.
The swap could involve as many as 30 prisoners… pic.twitter.com/8Wd7Qjevk7
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) August 1, 2024
The Kremlin’s narrative was clear: traitors were discredited, loyalists were exalted. This move paints the swap as a strategic triumph for Moscow, showcasing Putin’s ability to retrieve his agents, particularly Krasikov, whose release Germany initially resisted.
But why such emphasis on Krasikov? Today’s headlines offered clues: “We’re bringing our people home,” declared Rossiyskaya Gazeta. “We don’t abandon our own!” trumpeted Komsomolskaya Pravda. The message to Russia’s operatives is loud and clear: the Motherland will find a way to bring you back, no matter the obstacles.
🚨🇺🇸BREAKING: BIDEN AND KAMALA WELCOME AMERICANS FREED IN PRISONER SWAP
Biden and Kamala welcomed Americans involved in the prisoner swap with Russia, including Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Paul Whelan, at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.
After their arrival… https://t.co/9oag7z2Ei6 pic.twitter.com/0vtx48T3fY
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 2, 2024
Major Points
- Putin personally welcomed 10 Russians, including spies and an assassin, returning from a major prisoner exchange with the West.
- The returning agents received a red carpet reception, state awards, and hugs from Putin, signaling a significant Kremlin celebration.
- Pro-Kremlin media praised the swap as a success, discrediting freed dissidents while lauding loyal agents.
- The exchange included Vadim Krasikov, an FSB hitman, whose release was a top Kremlin priority despite initial German resistance.
- Russian headlines emphasize the message to agents: the Motherland will bring you home, reinforcing loyalty among spies and operatives.
Conner T – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
