Trump Criticizes Prisoner Exchange Every Day… “I’ll Bring It Back from North Korea Too”

by times news cr

2024-08-03 15:14:23

“Prisoner Exchange, Putin’s Victory… Should’ve Been Bringing Them Back Earlier”
“Maintain good relations with Kim Jong-un and bring people”

ⓒNewsis

As the Joe Biden administration of the United States has secured a large-scale prisoner swap between Russia and the West, former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, has continued to criticize it.

In an interview with Fox Business that was recorded the day before and released on the 2nd (local time), former President Trump said of the prisoner exchange with Russia, “As always, it’s a win for Putin and other countries that do business with us.”

Russia, the United States, Germany and others have agreed to a prisoner swap that would free eight Russian prisoners held abroad in exchange for 16 held in Russia. The swap includes three U.S. citizens, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, and one permanent resident.

The Biden administration is evaluating it as the result of painstaking diplomatic efforts, but former President Trump continues to give it a harsh evaluation.

Former President Trump said of Gershkovic, “We should have brought him back a long time ago,” adding, “If I were president, this wouldn’t have happened so early.”

He also raised suspicions that the United States may have provided cash for prisoner exchanges and criticized it for releasing Russian murderers and others.

He also emphasized that he brought many Americans home during his tenure.

“We brought 59 people and we didn’t pay them,” he said. “I brought people from North Korea too.”

He then boasted, “That is the hardest place to bring people over here,” adding, “I had a good relationship with Kim Jong-un and was able to bring people over there.”

In fact, in May 2018, during former President Trump’s term, then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited North Korea and returned with three Korean-Americans who had been detained: Kim Dong-chol, Kim Hak-song, and Kim Sang-duk.

Former President Trump also repeatedly criticized the practice of paying money in exchange for prisoner exchanges, saying, “If you start doing that, all of a sudden, a lot of hostages are taken prisoner. It’s a very bad precedent.”

Earlier, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the deal involved no cash payments or lifting of sanctions on Russia, other than the prisoner swap.

However, former President Trump is repeating his claim that there must have been a backroom deal. He also raised suspicions of cash provision on social media the day before, and it is interpreted that he is focusing on criticism out of concern about the increase in the Democratic Party’s approval rating.

[워싱턴=뉴시스]

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2024-08-03 15:14:23

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