Hi Sharon, thank you for such an insightful piece. I was generally aware of some of these stories, but I hadn’t yet had the dots connected so clearly.
The trend you describe—Russia weaponizing baseless arrests of foreigners to orchestrate swaps for Russians charged with far more serious crimes—is deeply unsettling. Not only does it incent…
Hi Sharon, thank you for such an insightful piece. I was generally aware of some of these stories, but I hadn’t yet had the dots connected so clearly.
The trend you describe—Russia weaponizing baseless arrests of foreigners to orchestrate swaps for Russians charged with far more serious crimes—is deeply unsettling. Not only does it incentivize acts of violence against innocent people, but it also has a chilling effect on anyone considering actions contrary to Putin’s interests. Furthermore, it undermines the credibility of countries that adhere to international rules, making them appear weak in the face of authoritarian regimes. All of these forces work in Russia’s favor at our expense.
It seems clear that taking a hardline stance against prisoner swaps could help deter such situations, effectively telling people that travel to authoritarian countries that they do so at their own risk. But I’m curious: what do you think the broader implications of such policies might be? Do you see alternative strategies the United States could use to flip this script?
Hi Sharon, thank you for such an insightful piece. I was generally aware of some of these stories, but I hadn’t yet had the dots connected so clearly.
The trend you describe—Russia weaponizing baseless arrests of foreigners to orchestrate swaps for Russians charged with far more serious crimes—is deeply unsettling. Not only does it incentivize acts of violence against innocent people, but it also has a chilling effect on anyone considering actions contrary to Putin’s interests. Furthermore, it undermines the credibility of countries that adhere to international rules, making them appear weak in the face of authoritarian regimes. All of these forces work in Russia’s favor at our expense.
It seems clear that taking a hardline stance against prisoner swaps could help deter such situations, effectively telling people that travel to authoritarian countries that they do so at their own risk. But I’m curious: what do you think the broader implications of such policies might be? Do you see alternative strategies the United States could use to flip this script?