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7 August 2024

Hostage Diplomacy: The Downside

Edward Lucas

Hydrocarbons and now hostages: Russia’s exports are booming. The West has failed to apply sanctions effectively to Russian oil, gas, or coal. Now it has given a boost to the Kremlin’s new industry, kidnapping. And it has expended scarce political energy on a high-profile humanitarian issue rather than the only geopolitical one that matters: Ukraine.

Those bleak conclusions cloud the joyful news that 16 people imprisoned in Russia and (in one case) Belarus have been swapped for eight Russians, ranging from an assassin to deep-cover illegals.

The freed Americans include Evan Gershkovich, who, during nearly 500 days behind bars, benefited from a tireless campaign by his family, colleagues, and employer, the Wall Street Journal (disclosure: part of the same Murdoch media empire as the London Times, where I am a columnist). Similar efforts helped Vladimir Kara-Murza, a dual Russian-British citizen with permanent American residency. His friends are delighted that he will not die in a Russian prison.

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