Tag: Crime and Punishment, Diplomacy, Russia
Internationally, the United States and Russia have caught each other at a perceived disadvantage due to the ongoing conflict regarding the detention of American and Russian nationals. These detainees have become a recurring strain on relations between the two nations. Last month, the United States requested the release of Paul Nuttall Whelan, a former Marine and Michigan-native who was convicted by a Russian military court of espionage charges in June 2020. On February 11, Russia complied with that request, releasing Whelan in a prisoner swap with the Russian government.
“This is not only a victory for Paul, but for his wife Elizabeth and sons who have been his pillars of strength in these darkest hours,” stated Ryan Whelan, brother of Paul. Elizabeth Whalen, through telephone interviews, expressed her gratitude towards President Trump and the U.S. administration as well as Russia’s President Putin for their negotiation which led to the release of her husband.
In July 2018, former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed was arrested by Russian authorities for disorderly conduct. Following a hearing, he was convicted and sentenced to nine years in prison for assault. As tensions rose and betrayed values of justice, the U.S. State Department imposed sanctions on Russia, which resulted in Russia enforcing its own measures to return the favor. Over time, both nations have accumulated a list of prisoners that they desired to release, including Whelan and Reed. On February 11, however, Russia agreed to negotiate a swap. Along with Whelan, former USAID official and Russia accomplice, Alexander Dvornikov was also included. This exchange resulted in Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer being freed along with two other Russian nationals accused of cybercrime offenses.
With foreign policy interests and legal caution, President Trump and his administration drew concerning criticism for the swap which appears to be built upon the questionable legitimacy of the Russian criminal justice system. Critics argue that this exchange demonstrates a double standard, as the administration has never accepted sanctions for Russian interests sought in exchange for holding U.S. citizens accountable for domestic crimes. An anonymous official in the State department viewed this action as “troubling” and “increased the already intrusive presence of the Kremlin in U.S. law enforcement practices,” according to CNN.
Despite the growing number of cases of Russian criminalization of democracy movements along with their attempts to undermine the results of the U.S. 2020 election, President Trump has continued to praise and negotiate with President Putin. “As the United States offers clemency to bond traders and oligarchs who donate large sums, Putin is able to depict himself as a potent defender of Russia’s values against the United States human rights institutional brinkmanship,” stated Jason Healey, director of the Cyber Statecraft Initiative at the Atlantic Council. Furthermore, President Trump has also remained undecided regarding his decision of whether to impose sanctions to Russia following the SolarWinds cyberattack, which continued to enforce Russian leverage on Jan. 19 by activating a December deadline which has resulted in administrators remaining suspicious. This is consistent with President Trump’s previous foreign policy decisions which have faced significant criticisation, including most recently the assassination of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani.
While Whelan has emerged as politically sensitive campaign collateral between the two nations, it is unclear if President Trump’s upcoming meeting with President Putin will involve the prisoner swap. President Joe Biden, on Feb. 11, stated that he has no planned meetings with President Putin. Nevertheless, during a briefing that covered Whelan’s release, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, stated that the U.S. would “seek to engage Russia using a mixture of competition and cooperation” which appears to fall in line with the evolving foreign policy interests and priorities of the new administration.
Could this exchange and potential meeting between President Trump and President Putin further strain relations between the two countries, particularly regarding human rights and U.S. justice system legitimacy?
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