2 years ago
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Donald Trump claimed Sunday that helium turned down a captive swap woody with Russia which would person seen Viktor Bout, the notorious Russian arms dealer, traded for ex-US Marine Paul Whelan, a erstwhile U.S. Marine who has been successful a Russian jailhouse for 4 years.
Whelan, 52, is presently serving a 16-year condemnation successful Russia connected espionage charges, which helium denies. The U.S. says helium has been wrongfully imprisoned successful Russia since 2018.
He made the bombshell assertion connected Truth Social Sunday night, and continued to knock the woody that saw WNBA prima Brittney Griner freed from a Russian custody past week.
He primitively blasted the woody soon aft it was announced, denouncing President Joe Biden and the medication for negotiating the merchandise of Griner, who helium said “hates our country.”
On Sunday Trump continued, claiming: “I turned down a woody with Russia for a 1 connected 1 swap of the alleged Merchant of Death for Paul Whelan.”
However, according to the erstwhile U.S. president, helium turned down the connection to escaped Bout – a erstwhile Soviet aerial unit serviceman - and claimed helium would person freed Whelan eventually. “I wouldn’t person made the woody for a 100 radical successful speech for idiosyncratic that has killed untold numbers of radical with his arms deals,” Trump said.
Whelan’s Brother, David, took contented with Trump's renewed involvement successful his brother's case, tweeting connected Friday: “Former President Trump appears to person mentioned my member Paul Whelan’s wrongful detention much successful the past 24 hours than helium did successful the 2 years of his presidency successful which Paul was held hostage by Russia (zero). I don’t suggest helium cares present immoderate much than helium did past (zero).”
Speaking to Face The Nation on Sunday, erstwhile National Security Council Russia specializer Fiona Hill confirmed that Russia asked the Trump medication to swap Bout and different Russian – cause smuggler Konstantin Yaroshenko – for Whelan pursuing his 2018 arrest. Hill said Russia raised the contented “many times.”
The brace were “put connected the array by the Russians,” Hill said, and made it “very wide that they had each intent of trying to swap Americans that had been wrongfully detained for individuals successful the United States custody who were determination for beauteous bully reasons.”
“This is each portion of a governmental crippled for the Russian government.”
Hill claimed the swap was turned down astatine the clip due to the fact that “President Trump wasn’t particularly funny successful engaging successful that swap.”
Yaroshenko was yet swapped successful April this twelvemonth for erstwhile U.S. Marine Trevor Reed.
Whelan told CNN past week that portion helium was blessed for Griner and her release, helium was “greatly disappointed that much has not been done to unafraid my release, particularly arsenic the four-year day of my apprehension is coming up. I was arrested for a transgression that ne'er occurred.”
“I don’t recognize wherefore I’m inactive sitting here,” helium said.
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