Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) criticized a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia negotiated this week, claiming the move helps Russian President Vladimir Putin and encourages U.S. enemies to falsely imprison Americans.
Graham said in a “Fox New Sunday” interview with Jacqui Heinrich that the deal “absolutely” helps Putin.
“We have a cycle here. You invented accusations against the Americans,” he said. “You accused them of things they didn’t do. You put them in prison and only release them when we have to release Russian spies and assassins. This cycle needs to stop.”
The large-scale prisoner exchange freed several Americans held in Russian captivity, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Navy veteran Paul Whelan. The freed Russians included noted assassin Vadim Krasikov and several accused spies.
A dozen Germans detained in Russia were also released under the deal. It was the biggest exchange since the end of the Cold War.
“At the end of the day. I think the Iranians see this as yet another sign of weakness,” Graham said. “The more bad guys like Putin are rewarded for doing bad things, the more bad things you’re going to get. So I’m concerned that the Iranians and the Chinese are watching, and that is making all of our enemies more provocative, not less.”
The most notable American still detained in Russia is Professor Marc Fogel, who was sentenced to 14 years in prison on drug trafficking charges. White House spokesman John Kirby said Sunday that although the Biden administration tried to include Fogel in the exchange, negotiations were unsuccessful.
He was hailed by the White House as a legacy builder for the president. The deal was reached just hours before Biden decided to abandon the 2024 campaign.
“Today’s exchange is a feat of diplomacy that honestly could only be achieved by a leader like Joe Biden,” Biden spokesman Jake Sullivan said last week.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
