LOS ANGELES.–White House officials reacted harshly to former President Donald Trump saying he would get Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich out a Russian jail, saying Trump doesn’t care about U.S. prisoners in Russia or anywhere else. T.J. Ducklo, 35, called a “senior adviser” to Biden, says Trump “doesn’t give a damn about the innocent Americans unjustly imprisoned,” citing Trump repeated attacks on the U.S. press. Trump only attacks the press when the fake news goes after him not on substance because they seek to give 81-year-old senile president Joe Biden four more years. Imagine Ducklo, an assistant press secretary under Carne Jean-Pierre, referred to as a “senior” adviser to Biden? No wonder Biden’s domestic and foreign policy is in shambles, letting milennials run domestic and foreign policy. Ducklo doesn’t know what it takes to run foreign policy.
Dershkovich finds himself a pawn caught in the middle of Biden’s proxy war in Ukraine against the Kremlin. Former Fox News journalist Tucker Carlson asked 71-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin Feb. 8 in two-hour face-to-face interview what could be done to bring Gershkovich home. Putin demurred but said that things would have to change for a prisoner swap to be arranged to return home the U.S. journalist denying any involvement in spying. As the situation stands now, it’s unrealistic to think that Putin would play ball with the White House when Biden funds his proxy war against the Kremlin. “For Donald Trump, these wrongfully imprisoned Americans are political weapons and props to use for his own gain—for Joe Biden, they are human beings whose loved ones and family members he has spent time with,” Ducklo said, defending Biden’s policy.
Ducklo doesn’t get that Biden’s war with the Kremlin has made diplomacy on a host of issues, including prisoner swaps, all but impossible. “Their release remains an urgent priority, just like it was for the 60 Americans who were wrongfully detained or taken hostage that President Biden has already brought home since taking office,” Ducklo said, not admitting the Ukraine War prevents any normal U.S.-Russian relations. Gershkovich “will be released almost immediately after the Election, but definitely before I assume office,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He will be HOME, SAFE, AND WITH HIS FAMILY. Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, will do that for me, but not for anyone else, and WE WILL BE PAYING NOTHING,” Trump wrote. White House officials know that Biden has no clout with the Kremlin because he funds Ukraine’s war with the Kremlin.
Biden’s proxy war in Ukraine makes generations of diplomacy, détente and arms control all but impossible. Trump has said his first order of business would be ending the Ukraine War, something Ukraine’s 46-year-old President Volodymyr Zelensky can’t happen. Biden just gave Ukraine another $60 billion to continue the proxy war indefinitely, assuring that U.S. prisoners like Gershkovich or former Defense Department contractor Paul Whelan, get out of Russian gulags. Ducklo says it’s Biden’s top priority to see U.S. prisoners out of Russian jails. But then why does he continue to fund proxy war against the Kremlin, instead of moving the conflict to the peace table? If cooperating with Russia were really Biden’s top priority, he would end the Ukraine proxy war. Trump says he will end the Ukraine War in 24 hours and begin the process of restoring normal diplomatic relations.
Republicans in the House and Senate backing Biden’s proxy war against the Kremlin, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), would be forced to reconsider their war-hawk position of backing proxy war against the Kremlin. Biden has turned Russia, a former cooperative partner, into a mortal enemy and promises to do the same with Communist China. Biden’s proxy war in Ukraine drove Chinese President Xi Jinping into a close economic, military and strategic alliance with Putin. Both countries have vowed to have each other’s back at a time of more aggressive U.S. foreign policy. Democrats and the press accused Trump of inappropriately closer relations with Moscow and China. Now that Biden’s at war with the Kremlin and pushing for war with Beijing, hawkish members of Capitol Hill are now starting to rethink their position on Russia and China.
Democrats and the press refuse to acknowledge the obvious that Biden has wrecked U.S.-Russian and U.S.-Chinese relations. When Trump says he would get Gershkovich out, he’s talking about ending the Ukraine War and reestablishing pragmatic relations with the Kremlin. Under Biden’s foreign policy, Russia and China have been turned into mortal enemies, with cooperative relations all but gone. If Biden really wants to get U.S. citizens out of Russian jails, he needs to restore normal diplomatic relations, not continue the destructive proxy war. Democrats and the press back Biden’s proxy war in Ukraine with the Kremlin but don’t know how to restore U.S.-Russian relations. Biden has no clout with Putin because diplomatic relations have all but ended under his leadership. Trump irks the press by saying he would end the war and restore normal U.S.-Russian relations.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
