Friendship And Diplomacy
A way of thinking that resulted in a good day
I am well aware that my drawing is optimistic, but I feel that care, friendship and love should be the motivating principle for international relationships.
As I write, I am learning about the release of American political prisoners from Russia. As President Biden said in a press conference just now, “It’s a very good afternoon.”
It was a deal that involved diplomacy and friendship, he said.
From the NY Times: “The scope of the deal has little precedent in the post-Soviet era. For the first time since the fall of the Soviet Union, Moscow freed prominent dissidents as part of a swap; 16 people in total were released from Russian custody. In exchange, eight people were freed by the West, after a complex web of negotiations that took place behind the scenes for months among nations that are otherwise bitterly at odds over Russian aggression in Ukraine.”
The deal freed Evan Gershkovich, 32, who had spent 16 months in a Russian prison; Alsu Kurmasheva, 47, a Russian American editor for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, who was also arrested last year; and Paul Whelan, 54, a former U.S. Marine arrested in 2018.
This is how its done. It is a great day for the prisoners and their families, but also a great diplomatic coup for Biden. I’m not sure what Putin gets out of this, but I will read more.
Of all the presidents I have been around for, it’s the ones who are thoughtful in international negotiations that I greatly admire. It’s not about us vs them, in the end. Many may say I’m naive. Yes, some situations require force, but hopefully not, and only after many hours/days/months of talks.
The situation in the Middle East is frightening again. I won’t write about it because I really don’t fully understand it. I know we may be on the verge of escalations in the conflict over there; I hope not. The parties seemed to be close to a peace deal. It’s so very sad. And the fear is that the hostages are in greater danger now. They must be freed.
When Biden spoke today about the prisoner exchange, he used the word “friendship.” Usually we just hear “diplomacy” or “deals,” various words like that. I don’t know if I have heard friendship used in such a way. It is very helpful in setting a tone for the world.
I hope you are having a good Thursday, see you tomorrow!
Such an important message he was signaling- we value friendships, as we do down to the smallest community - alliances promising to come to the aid of one another. These are global communities who aspire to the cause of fellowship.
It’s the difference between playing chess and playing checkers - being able to see the complexity of relationships between unique elements that are constantly changing with every move. Biden is a champion political chess player. (Netanyahu is not)