Hmm. Now why would a reporter on a liberal community preface his criticism of the Biden administration’s dealing with of the Brittney Griner/Paul Whelan case by stating, “sorry to say it?”
On at this time’s Morning Joe, senior NBC worldwide correspondent Keir Simmons mentioned the potential swap of Griner and Whelan for a Russian arms vendor. Simmons famous the criticism the Russians have made from the best way the Biden White Home has carried out “loudspeaker” negotiations—making public its provide to commerce a Russian arms vendor in return for Griner and Whelan. And Simmons noticed in his personal proper that “publicly negotiating is a really unusual approach to negotiate.”
Stated Simmons:
“That is [pauses hesitantly] sorry to say it, I believe that is an instance of the place inside-the-Beltway politics, good, in all probability sensible, from the White Home perspective, is not good geopolitics.
So, clearly the White Home felt that they wanted to point, notably, I think, forward of the midterms, that they have been doing the whole lot they might to attempt to safe Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan’s launch . . . However publicly negotiating is a really unusual approach to negotiate.”
Simmons thus spoke two truths: not solely was the general public negotiating by Biden’s White Home unhealthy “geopolitics,” it was accomplished for craven causes: “forward of the midterms.”
He added “what the Russians are attempting to do right here is to embarrass the White Home. They, as soon as once more, attempt to present America as being weak. And they’re going to see this as a possibility to do this by turning round and saying, okay, that is what you are providing. However that is what we wish. And we’ll stand agency till we get what we wish.”
MSNBC’s Jonathan Lemire tried his finest to defend the White Home, channeling Biden sources as standard. He agreed that the general public posture by the Biden White Home was “uncommon,” however “it needed to be in response. They have been getting a lot strain from the remainder of the nation.”
Sorry, Jonathan, however caving to public strain is never a great way to conduct overseas coverage, notably with a ruthless adversary like Russia.
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This is the transcript.
MSNBC
Morning Joe
8/5/22
6:36 am EDTMIKA BRZEZINSKI: Consideration now turns to the potential for a prisoner swap between Washington and Moscow. This morning, Russian overseas minister Sergey Lavrov mentioned the Kremlin is able to speak by way of an current again channel after no substantive response to a U.S. provide for Griner’s launch made in June. NBC Information has beforehand reported the provide was a swap of Griner, and one other American being held in Russia, Paul Whelan, in alternate for imprisoned Russian arms vendor Viktor Bout.
Becoming a member of us now, NBC Information senior worldwide correspondent Keir Simmons. Keir, any extra phrase on the potential contours of a deal, and if it is being taken critically by the Russians?
KEIR SIMMONS: Properly, Mika, I believe the Russians are taking it critically. However I believe what we now have in retailer is fairly brutal politics, frankly. Now, Sergey Lavrov, as you mentioned, does say that he’s prepared to speak. What he additionally mentioned was, he criticized America for what he referred to as public diplomacy. That comes after [Putin press secretary] Dmitri Peskov criticized what he referred to as loudspeaker diplomacy, and the overseas ministry spokeswoman, once more, she too criticized the White Home for type of making all of this public.
I imply, it is extremely uncommon for the White Home to brazenly, type of placed on the desk, the provide they’re making. My prediction is that the Russians will now view that as a place to begin. I do not assume that they are going to be ready to do a two-for-one deal, should you like:Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan for this arms trafficker.
I think that they’re going to have a look at the cope with Trevor Reed, the place a drug trafficker, Konstantin Yaroshenko, was swapped for Trevor Reed. And they are going to say, that was one for one. So, we’ll do one for one now.
And, that is [pauses hesitantly] sorry to say it, I believe that is an instance of the place inside-the-Beltway politics, good, in all probability sensible, from the White Home perspective’s inside-the-Beltway politics, will not be good geopolitics.
So, clearly the White Home felt that they wanted to point, notably, I think, forward of the midterms, that they have been doing the whole lot they might to attempt to safe Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan’s launch. However, I imply, publicly negotiating, the Russians are criticizing it.
Let’s be clear, it’s the Russians who’re liable for what’s taking place to Brittney Griner. It is an appalling sentence. However publicly negotiating is a really unusual approach to negotiate. And by the best way, consider, too, that what the Russians are attempting to do right here is to embarrass the White Home. They, as soon as once more, attempt to present America as being weak. And they’re going to see this as a possibility to do this by turning round and saying, okay, that is what you are providing. However that is what we wish. And we’ll stand agency till we get what we wish.
JONATHAN LEMIRE: So, Keir, you are proper, in that the general public posture from the White Home is uncommon, however as [inaudible] instructed me, it needed to be in response. They have been getting a lot strain from the remainder of the nation. They’d been silent for the primary couple months of her detention, after which in fact there was a lot push there to do one thing and, subsequently, they’re. However you are proper, there’s some concern it will not be profitable.
SIMMONS: It’s fully comprehensible. The politics, the U.S. home politics is comprehensible.
LEMIRE: Plain.
SIMMONS: It simply would not make Brittney Griner, I do not assume it helps Brittney Griner’s case, actually.
LEMIRE: It might not, precisely proper.
