U.S. Republican nominee Donald Trump praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for what he described as a “great deal” in a recent historic prisoner swap that secured the release of several Americans. Speaking at a campaign rally in Atlanta on Saturday, Trump contrasted Putin’s negotiating skills with what he sees as the Biden administration’s failure to secure a favorable agreement for the United States.
“I’d like to congratulate Vladimir Putin for having made yet another great deal. Did you see the deal we made?” Trump told his supporters, taking aim at President Biden for what he portrayed as a weak negotiation. Trump, who is seeking a second term in the White House despite facing multiple legal challenges, emphasized that while Americans were brought home, the deal may have set a dangerous precedent.
“We got our people back, but boy, we make some horrible, horrible deals,” Trump said. He went on to express concern that the exchange might have emboldened adversaries by suggesting the U.S. is willing to make significant concessions. “It’s nice to say we got ’em back, but does that set a bad precedent?” he questioned.
The prisoner swap, the largest since the end of the Cold War, saw Russia release 16 prisoners, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, several German nationals, and Russian dissidents. In return, eight Russians imprisoned in five countries were freed, among them Vadim Krasikov, a colonel from Russia’s secret service who had been serving a life sentence in Germany for the 2019 assassination of a Chechen terrorist in Berlin.
The deal has sparked controversy, particularly in Germany, where Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock admitted it represented a “highly sensitive dilemma” that warrants further discussion.
During his rally, Trump contrasted this deal with his own track record, claiming that during his presidency, he secured the release of “59 hostages” without making any payments or compromising U.S. interests. This comment appeared to allude to rumors of financial exchanges in the recent swap, though Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, confirmed that no money was exchanged and no sanctions against Russia were eased as part of the deal.
Trump’s remarks underscore a broader Republican critique of the Biden administration’s foreign policy, painting it as weak and ineffective compared to the more assertive stance Trump claims to have taken during his tenure.
