Former US president Donald Trump has congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin on a major prisoner exchange between Russia, Belarus and several Western states.
“I’d like to congratulate Vladimir Putin for having made yet another great deal,” the Republican presidential candidate said at a campaign event in Atlanta, in the US state of Georgia.
“They released some of the greatest killers anywhere in the world,” Trump said. “Some of the most evil killers they got. And we got our people back, but boy, we made some horrible, horrible deals. And it’s nice to say we got them back, but does that set a bad precedent?”
The unprecedented prisoner exchange saw Russia and Belarus release 16 people who had been imprisoned for their activities as journalists and activists, among other things. In return, 10 people were handed over to Moscow from prison in various Western countries.
Several countries were involved in the swap, which saw two high-profile US citizens - Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US marine Paul Whelan - return home.
Also released as part of the deal was Russian Vadim Krasikov, who had been sentenced to life in prison in Germany for the 2021 shooting a Georgian of Chechen descent in the heart of Berlin.
The deal was negotiated by the government of US President Joe Biden, a Democrat, with the help of Germany and other allies. Trump pointed to his own record of bringing home US citizens held abroad during his term in office, stressing: “I never paid anything.”
The Republican had already bad-mouthed the major deal with Russia shortly after news of it broke on Thursday and has implied without any evidence that money had been paid to reach it. Trump has been regularly provocative in his campaign for the US presidential election, set for November 5.
US Vice President Kamala Harris is a presidential candidate in the 2024 race after she was endorsed by Biden, who has withdrawn from the contest due to concerns that he could not defeat Republican rival Trump. (DPA)
