A leading Republican cautioned on Thursday that the Biden administration’s decision to exchange Russian criminals for two detained Americans – Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich and Marine veteran Paul Whelan – might be sending a “hazardous message” to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, joined others in expressing joy over the releases, stating he was “excited” to hear that the detained Americans were returning home.
“However, I still have concerns that persistently swapping innocent Americans for genuine Russian criminals detained in the U.S. and abroad sends a perilous message to Putin, only encouraging further hostage-taking by his regime,” he remarked.
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McCaul warned about the implications the deal sends to Putin. (Getty Images)
He also emphasized, “We should not overlook the other Americans who may still be imprisoned in Russia, such as Marc Fogel and Ksenia Karelina, as well as those held in different countries, including Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and David Lin in China, and Ryan Corbett in Afghanistan. We need to bring all of them back to their families as well.”
A senior administration official disclosed to Fox News on Thursday that the U.S. and Russia have settled on a prisoner transfer, and the prisoners are expected to soon be in U.S. custody.
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Whelan is part of the upcoming prisoner exchange. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images)
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, also shared his relief regarding the imminent release of Gershkovich and Whelan “after years of unjust detention in Russia.”
“The unfounded allegations, mock trials, and wrongful imprisonment of these men vividly illustrate Russia’s blatant disregard for human rights and its ongoing repression of innocent Americans,” he expressed.
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Gershkovich will be included in the exchange. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images)
In a unified statement, Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation, which includes Democratic Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman, along with Republican Representatives Mike Kelly and Guy Reschenthaler, plus Democratic Representative Chris Deluzio, urged the administration to consider including Fogel in the exchange.
“As we hear news of a possible prisoner swap, we strongly advocate that any exchange feature Pennsylvania’s Marc Fogel, in addition to Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich,” they stated.
“Marc is a teacher from Pennsylvania facing serious health challenges and has been wrongfully imprisoned in a Russian jail for the last three years. As the congressional representatives of Marc and his family, we are committed to bringing him home as swiftly as possible. While negotiations with the Russian Federation are ongoing, we respectfully request that any potential swap incorporates Marc Fogel.”
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Putin and Biden’s administration finalized an agreement for a prisoner exchange. (Mikhail Metzel/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
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Former Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican Senate candidate from Michigan, home state of Whelan, took to X to express his gratitude for the news, stating, “I am incredibly thankful that Paul Whelan is finally returning home to Michigan! This wonderful news has been a long time coming and hopefully brings solace to the Whelan family, who has endured unimaginable sorrow over the past few years due to Russia’s outrageous actions.”
