(12-09-2022, 12:22 AM)JagsorDie Wrote:

(12-08-2022, 07:43 PM)mikesez Wrote: There's still plenty.  Lots of bank accounts that could conceivably be unfrozen.  A state department official could unequivocally say that some or all of Crimea is Russian.  Russia won't stop having things it would like for the US to do, not in our lifetimes.  The question for us is always the same: does making that deal incentivize them to arrest more of our people? 
And remember, whether it was due to concern about precedent, or just plain lack of care, Trump also failed to get Paul Whelan back.

How could the state department for the United States give Russia a portion of a country that is not the our territory? Thy makes no sense. I was referring to exchange of people. And let’s be honest, even Whelan and BG for Victor was grossly uneven. But exchanging a prisoner for another country(that isn’t ours to give) is insane. 

I’d give them California and AOC in a heartbeat

There are two ways to determine whose land is whose.
One is, who controls it.  Russia controls Crimea.  For now.
The other is, ask around.  Everyone says Crimea belongs to Ukraine.  But if some people, some important people, start saying Crimea belongs to Russia,  that changes.
I'm not suggesting that I would give the US stance on Crimea away for the return of a single prisoner, not at all, I'm just saying this is one of many points that could possibly be part of future deals.

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