Lawmakers welcome freed Americans from Russia, warn of ‘mixed blessing’

Republican and Democratic lawmakers celebrated the return of Americans jailed in Russia on what they criticized as politically motivated charges, but raised concern that the exchange for Russian prisoners could encourage future hostage taking.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he was “thrilled” at the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, and green card holder and Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza. 

But he raised concern over the release of Russian prisoners as part of the exchange, notably a convicted murderer from a German jail and convicted criminals held in the U.S.

“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,” McCaul said in a statement, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

President Biden, during a brief news conference announcing the release of the four Americans and 12 others, said he would encourage Americans “not to go to certain places, tell them what’s at risk, what’s at stake,” in effort to prevent hostage taking and politically motivated arrests. 

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, ahead of confirmation of the prisoner exchange, spoke to the challenge of engaging in prisoner swaps without encouraging more arrests. 

“It’s always a mixed blessing, because the detainees in Russia shouldn’t be detainees, the prisoners that we’re going to swap are people who have committed really bad things,” he told reporters in a roundtable on Wednesday.

“So it always is hard for us to accept that. But the realities are that that’s who we are as individuals, that’s our values. Our values is to take care of people who are wrongfully detained if we can get them released. We’re prepared to make certain sacrifices, which is unfair, but it does provide certain hopes for people who shouldn’t be incarcerated.”

Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called the exchange of Americans for Russian prisoners in the U.S. and elsewhere “not equal.” 

“U.S. citizens wrongfully detained are not the same as Russian war criminals. In the Senate, we will continue to oppose all attempts by Putin to use Americans as political pawns to achieve his egregious goals. We will never stop fighting for Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained, whether by Hamas, the [Chinese Communist Party], Putin, or anyone else,” Young said in a statement.