What Does the Massive US-Russia Prisoner Swap Mean for Relations, Foreign Policy?

American citizens Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva, and U.S. resident Vladimir Kara-Murza returned to U.S. soil yesterday after the largest prisoner swap between Russia and the West since the end of the Cold War. What does the swap mean for U.S.-Russia relations?

From the Center: "Carrying out a complex exchange such as this one suggests that reliable back channels are still working. 'If this is true, it means that Russia is not completely isolated and is still able to conduct serious negotiations with Western countries,' says Mr. Mukhin, the Russian political analyst." said a writer for Christian Science Monitor (Center).

From the Left: "Does the swap signal a potential thaw in relations between Moscow and Washington? Absolutely not. The swap was nothing more than a temporary moment of convenience when Putin and Biden’s narrow political interests overlapped. There will be no thaw or reset in the final days of Biden’s term. Until Moscow removes its troops from Ukraine, Washington will not relent. Nor should it," said a USA Today (Lean Left) columnist.

From the Right: A Washington Examiner (Lean Right) contributor wrote, "Could this Cold War-esque prisoner exchange be the opening gambit in a more semiworkable relationship between Washington and Moscow? In an ideal world, the answer would be yes...The Gershkovich negotiation wasn’t a slam dunk... we don’t live in an ideal world. In reality, the outlook for a broader U.S.-Russia opening is dim."