2024-08-07 08:31:36
For Russian President Vladimir Putin, Thursday’s exchange of political prisoners between Russia and America is a significant achievement. “He gave the impression that he can take care of his agents abroad,” analyst Abbas Galjamov assessed the act in an interview with the Associated Press (AP). However, the former Putin associate also sees hope in the pact, which is said to have strengthened the loyalty of people in the service of Moscow.
The prisoner swap comes despite relations between Washington and Moscow being at their worst since the Cold War following the launch of the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. | Video: Associated Press
According to Galyamov, a political scientist and former author of Putin’s speeches, the Russian president in particular benefits from the exchange of political prisoners that took place last Thursday. “In the eyes of all the spies, assassins and other people he uses abroad, he fit the role of a father. This is important, because he secured his loyalty. They should work for him out of their own convictions, not out of fear,” said Galyamov about the most famous prisoner exchanges since World War II to the AP.
Galyamov claims that the opposition leaders, who were released from captivity by Russia as part of the agreement, will not cause any further problems for Moscow. “What can the opposition politician Ilya Yashin do in freedom compared to what he did in prison? He has written his statements before. Documents that authors create from behind bars arouse more sympathy and interest. There are many free people in Europe who write. And now there will be a few more,” he explained. According to him, the Kremlin made money from the agreement.
The prisoner swap comes despite relations between Washington and Moscow being at their worst since the Cold War following the launch of the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
According to the political scientist, Putin has shown a certain kind of friendliness, which increases the prospects that the West could negotiate with Moscow in the future. According to Galyamov, a broader agreement regarding aggression in Ukraine is not ruled out either. “If they were able to agree on this issue, they might be able to agree on another,” he added.
According to official representatives, the international pact freed over two dozen people. On Thursday, Moscow released, for example, American journalist Evan Gershkovich, former US Marine Paul Whelan and politician and journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza. For example, Vadim Krasikov, who was convicted in Germany for the murder of a former Chechen insurgent in a Berlin park, got back to Russia.
The United States wanted to include imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in the large prisoner exchange that took place. However, Washington did not have time to conclude an agreement with Moscow before Navalny died suddenly in February under unclear circumstances in a penal colony in Siberia.
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Footage from the prisoner exchange shows Putin hugging the killer Krasikov (the man in the blue cap). | Video: Associated Press