Quotes
Let the traitors now feverishly pick up new names and actively disguise themselves under witness protection programmes,
former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said As the Minister of Justice, I am responsible for one particularly bitter concession,
And if you had any doubts, you will lose them after talking to those who are now free."
After meeting with the released prisoners, Scholz called the exchange correct Nobody took the decision lightly to let go a murderer serving a life sentence after only a few years,
Scholz said at the Cologne, Germany, airport It was two guys actually trying to figure out a solution,
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters Thursday after the deal was unveiled The demands they were making of me required me to get some significant concessions from Germany, which they originally concluded they could not do because of the person in question,
the president said at the White House We have certain conditions that are being discussed through channels between special services,
We are a society that is characterized by... the idea of individual freedom and by democracy,
And the fact that those who have to fear for their lives because they have stood up for democracy and freedom can also count on the protection of others is part of our self-image as a democratic... society,
We’ve negotiated the release of 16 people from Russia — including five Germans and seven Russian citizens who were political prisoners in their own country. Some of these women and men have been unjustly held for years. All have endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty. Today, their agony is over,
the White House said in a press release As alleged, the defendant was a critical participant in a scheme to provide sensitive, American-made electronics and ammunition in furtherance of Russia's war efforts and weapons development, violating U.S. export controls, economic sanctions and other criminal statues,
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace wrote in a press release at the time But I remain concerned that continuing to trade innocent Americans for actual Russian criminals held in the U.S. and elsewhere sends a dangerous message to Putin that only encourages further hostage taking by his regime,
That is why it was important to us that we have an obligation to protect German nationals as well as solidarity with the United States,
The leaders who are engaged in this diplomacy are trying to do whatever it is they can to get the best deal they can to bring their citizens home,
To see 24 people being exchanged as part of this deal from 7 different countries and that's a huge amount of coordination and shows that sometimes to get a deal done you have to put more on the table,
Many of the prisoners feared for their health and even their lives,
The release was only possible because Russian citizens with intelligence backgrounds who were imprisoned in Europe were deported and transferred to Russia,
Hebestreit told reporters It was not easy for anyone to make this decision to deport a murderer sentenced to life imprisonment after only a few years in prison,
said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who interrupted his summer vacation to greet some of the released prisoners upon their arrival in Germany Sometimes, for reasons of humanity, you have to do a deal with the devil."
Michael Roth, the head of the German parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, summed up Berlin's decision on X, formerly Twitter, by saying For you, I will do this,
In January, Biden personally approached Scholz about the possibility of a prisoner swap, to which Scholz responded ... Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Thursday