The deal with Trevor Reed, an American prisoner for almost three years, would have been a remarkable diplomatic maneuver even in times of peace, but it was even more astonishing because it took place as Russia’s war with Ukraine led to relations with the United States. lowest point of recent decades. At the other end of the spectrum was Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot serving a 20-year federal sentence for conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into the United States. Although the Biden government has been hailing the exchange, it has made it clear that the resolution did not herald wider progress between countries. Russian forces remain determined to attack Ukraine, the United States and its Western allies continue to impose punitive sanctions, and other Americans, including WNBA star Brittney Griner and Michigan corporate security chief Paul Whelan, remain in Russia. The exchange, the culmination of the two countries’ long-standing demands, as well as private diplomatic disputes, took place in Turkey when “the two planes actually went up side by side, and then went out,” said Reed’s father, Joy. . “I think it will be very good for him and for us when we finally see and touch him,” he told the Associated Press. Reed, a 30-year-old former Marine from Texas, was arrested in the summer of 2019 after Russian authorities said he attacked a police officer while being taken by police to a police station after a night of heavy alcohol. He was later sentenced to nine years in prison, although the US government described him as an unjust prisoner and pushed for his release, while his family claimed his innocence and expressed concerns about his deteriorating health – which included a bloody cough and a strike. are you hungry. Even on Wednesday, his parents’ joy was allayed by the anxiety they said they felt about his physical appearance. They were impressed by his erratic gait and how weak he seemed as the television footage captured him walking, surrounded by guards, from a van to a jet. “He just didn’t sound like himself,” said Reed’s mother, Paula, recounting their brief phone conversation while on the plane. We just asked him how he was doing and he said, ‘I’m fine.’ But he always says it even when he is not. And he just didn’t sound like his normal self. “ Reed was on his way back to the United States, traveling with Roger Carschens, the US government’s special envoy for hostage affairs. President Joe Biden, who met with Reed’s parents in Washington last month, welcomed Reed’s release and said without elaboration that “the negotiations that allowed us to bring Trevor home required difficult decisions that I do not take lightly.” . The Russian government also confirmed the deal, with the Foreign Ministry describing the exchange as “the result of a lengthy negotiation process.” A senior Biden administration official warned that the talks focused on a “distinct set of detainee issues” and represented no change in the US government’s condemnation of Russia’s violence against Ukraine. “Wherever we can discuss issues of mutual interest, we will try to talk to the Russians and have a constructive dialogue without in any way changing our approach to the horrific violence in Ukraine,” the official told reporters on condition of anonymity. anonymity. rules set by the administration. Yaroshenko, for his part, was arrested in Liberia in 2010 and extradited to the United States on drug trafficking charges. The Justice Department described him as an “experienced international drug dealer” who conspired to distribute thousands of kilograms of cocaine worldwide. A lawyer for Yaroshenko, who in 2020 tried unsuccessfully to release his client with compassionate release due to the coronavirus pandemic, did not send an email asking for comment on Wednesday. Russia has been seeking Yaroshenko’s return for years, and has also rejected calls by senior US officials for the release of Reed, who was approaching his 1,000th day in prison after being convicted of plotting to assassinate US President George W. Bush. , described as “ridiculous” evidence. The prisoner exchange was the most significant release during the Biden administration of an American who was wrongly detained abroad and took place even when families of detainees who met with administration officials last year described the officials as cool on the idea of an exchange. The US government does not usually engage in such exchanges. He fears that this could encourage foreign governments to take extra Americans as prisoners as a way to extract concessions. And he worries about a possible false equivalent between an unjustly detained American – who US officials believe was Reed – and a properly convicted criminal. In that case, however, the United States has said the deal was meaningful in part because Yaroshenko had already served much of his prison sentence, which has now been commuted, a senior AP official said on condition of anonymity. In a statement, the Reed family thanked Biden, “for the decision to bring Trevor home,” other government officials, and Bill Richardson, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. The family said Richardson traveled to Moscow hours before the start of the war in Ukraine in hopes of securing Reed’s release. Reed’s release did not have a direct impact on the affairs of other Americans held by Russia. Greiner, for example, was arrested in February after Russian authorities said a search of her bag turned up steam cartridges containing hemp oil. Whelan is being held on charges of espionage that his family says are false. Biden said Wednesday that “we will not stop until Paul Whelan and others join Trevor in the beloved embrace of family and friends.” U.S. officials have described Whelan as an unjust detainee, but so far have not described Griner’s case in those terms. Whelan was sentenced and sentenced to 16 years in prison. Greener is awaiting trial. At home in Texas, the Reeds had a general sense of progress and had even begun cleaning up Trevor’s room in preparation for his return home, removing papers from his bed to have a place to sleep. It was a welcome turnout a month ago when they protested outside the White House for their son’s release, and then pressed their case in a private meeting with Biden. “We’ve been saying for over a year, if we could just talk to the president, that we felt we could do this thing – and that’s exactly what happened,” said Joey Reed.
