It’s after midnight in Texas. On a military base tarmac, a plane lands. The door opens and one American after another steps out into the summer night. Their names are Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich,and Alsu Kurmasheva.
A landmark prisoner exchange with Russia on Aug. 1 released the three Americans, as well as American green card holder Vladimir Kara-Murza. The effort involved multiple countries and months of negotiations.
What do we know about how the U.S. brokered this deal with Russia? What does it tell us about how to secure the release of Americans held abroad? And why has the risk of being detained by hostile governments increased?
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