Former national security officials from the Trump administration are criticizing the ex-president for meddling in hostage negotiations regarding Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is imprisoned in Russia. Donald Trump promised that Gershkovich would be released after the election, which his own former White House officials believe could hinder the reporter’s freedom and risk undermining U.S. democracy by influencing Russia to hold Gershkovich until after the election to benefit Trump’s campaign. Despite accusations of spying by Russia, Gershkovich’s family, employer, and President Biden maintain the charges are false.
In a campaign ad, Trump confidently states that Gershkovich will be released soon after the election if he wins, without any cost. This boast has been criticized by experts as potentially jeopardizing negotiations for Gershkovich’s release, with suggestions that Trump may be willing to fulfill any demands made by Putin for the reporter’s freedom, echoing similar past behavior from the 2016 election period.
Experts like Fiona Hill from Trump’s National Security Council believe that Trump’s comments are damaging to U.S. national security, questioning his motives and highlighting potential risks in his approach to securing the release of Gershkovich. The current Biden administration is critical of Trump’s interference in the negotiations and his claims that he turned down a deal to release another wrongly imprisoned American in Russia.
Overall, Trump’s actions in this situation have raised concerns among former officials and foreign policy experts about the impact of his promises on delicate negotiations with Russia and potential implications for U.S. foreign policy and national security.
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