BREAKING: US has traded Russian arms dealer, Viktor Bout (Merchant of Death) for Brittney Griner

[wbrocks67]

Biden really having an incredible run here. Again, getting more sh*t done.

Amazing for Brittany and her family.

[wbrocks67]

Happy for her. Terrible that Paul Whelan seems to have been left out in the cold.

The US should institute the highest possible travel advisory for Russia, equivalent to North Korea. Putin will be seeking more hostages.

Why are people making this about Whelan? It sounds like his situation is quite different than Brittany's, and Russia is also treating it considerably different than hers as well (for whatever reason). There's no reason people can't be happy for Brittany and need to somehow bring Whelan into it too. Situations like these are obv complicated, I doubt there was any scenario where Russia was going to free two American citizens at the same time.

[wbrocks67]

The rest of their response though ... I can only imagine what they've gone through, but I think a lot of their anger is incredibly misguided.

https://twitter.com/ArdenFarhi/status/1600850642821488640

[wbrocks67]

This has been the worst trade deal in the history of trade deals, maybe ever.

Isn't that the point though? Russia had the leverage here. There wasn't really much we could do except offer something good enough for them to at least let Griner go. It's clear they didn't want to let either of them go, and not much could've persuaded them since it took a pretty giant trade to even let her go. Why people acting as if getting Whelan back so easy are being ridiculous.