| | | | |  | | By Bethany Irvine | | Presented by |  | | | |  | THE CATCH-UP | | |  President Joe Biden cast the deal as a major victory amid tense relations with Russia in remarks at the White House. | AP | After months — in some cases, years — four Americans held in Russian prisons are on their way home today. They include WSJ reporter EVAN GERSHKOVICH, who spent a grueling 17 months in Russian custody, much of it in a remote prison colony, on trumped up espionage charges. Also freed were journalists ALSU KURMASHEVA and VLADIMIR KARA-MURZA, as well as security executive PAUL WHELAN, who had been imprisoned since 2018 and had been passed over in prior prisoner swaps. (All are U.S. citizens except Kara-Murza, who is a permanent resident.) The 24 prisoners released also included several German nationals and Russian dissidents, who will not be free to live abroad. Moscow, in turn, secured the release of eight of their own citizens held in Western custody — including Kremlin hitman VADIM KRASIKOV, who had been jailed in Germany since carrying out a brazen Berlin assassination in 2019. All told, it was among the most complex prisoner swaps undertaken since the Cold War, coming together “after months of negotiations at the highest levels of governments in the U.S., Russia and Germany,” WSJ’s Drew Hinshaw, Joe Parkinson and Aruna Viswanatha report. President JOE BIDEN cast the deal as a major victory amid tense relations with Russia in remarks at the White House, calling it “a feat of diplomacy and friendship” that reunited multiple families that stood alongside him: “Some of these women and men have been unjustly held for years. All have endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty. Today, their agony is over.” THE REACTION … More from Biden: “This is a very good afternoon,” he said, describing a phone call he had just made with the families to their newly released loved ones. After the swap took place in Ankara, Tukey, this morning, they are expected back in the U.S. later today. Biden also lauded the deal as the fruit of his efforts to rebuild American alliances: “Multiple countries helped to get this done,” he said. “Today is a powerful example of why you should have friends in this world — friends you can trust and depend upon.” More from Adam Cancryn From the WSJ: Editor-in-chief EMMA TUCKER lauded Gershkovich’s return in a letter to staff:: “It is a joyous day for Evan’s family, friends and colleagues, who have worried about him and supported him these past 16 months. It is a joyous day for the millions of well-wishers in the U.S. and around the world who stood with Evan and defended the free press.” HOW IT HAPPENED … The deal followed years of behind-the-scenes wrangling between Moscow and Western governments, according to multiple accounts emerging this morning. As Hinshaw, Parkinson and Viswanatha report, the backdrop has been a “new era of state-sponsored hostage-taking by autocratic governments seeking leverage over rivals” — one where Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN was able to “order foreigners plucked from restaurants and hotels and given lengthy prison sentences on spurious charges—something an American leader can’t do.” Talks escalated after Gershkovich’s arrest, and a potential deal earlier this year that might have included Gershkovich, Whelan and Russian opposition leader ALEXEY NAVALNY evaporated after the latter’s death. Still, the WSJ writes, “White House officials, U.S. diplomats and personnel from the CIA had crisscrossed Europe and the Middle East looking for friendly governments willing to release the Russian spies in their custody in return for Americans held by the Kremlin.” Krasikov, who has close ties to Putin, soon emerged as the central figure. Reticent German officials finally came around, and Turkish authorities emerged as a key go-between, CNN’s Gul Tuysuz reports from Istanbul. Meanwhile, as the WSJ details in a long reconstruction of the negotiation saga, intelligence officials met frequently with Russia counterparts throughout June and July in Middle Eastern capitals, with national security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN working to sew up the deal back in Washington as Biden’s re-election prospects crumbled. An eyes-emoji detail, from the WSJ: "Biden — about an hour before he notified the world he was dropping out of the presidential race on July 21 — called the prime minister of Slovenia, whose country was contributing two convicted Russian spies to the swap, to secure the pardon necessary for the deal to proceed.” Good Thursday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at birvine@politico.com.
| | | | A message from Wells Fargo: Wells Fargo seeks broad impact in our communities. As a company, we are focused on building a sustainable, inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small business growth and financial health. We have donated nearly $2 billion to strengthen local communities over the last five years. What we say, we do. See how. | | | | | 6 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | |  Hundreds of protesting Iranians take part in a protest against the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the political head of Hamas, in Palestine Square in Tehran, Wednesday, July 31. | Getty Images | | 1. MIDDLE EAST LATEST: Following the killing of Hamas leader ISMAIL HANIYEH in Tehran yesterday, Iranian officials will meet the representatives of Iran's regional allies from Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen today to discuss potential retaliation, Reuters’ Parisa Hafezi, Ahmed Rasheed and Laila Bassam report from Dubai. Though Israeli officials have not yet claimed responsibility for the attack, the increased violence and recent assassination of Hezbollah's senior commander has “fuelled further concern that the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza was turning into an all-out war in the Middle East.” How it happened … NYT’s Ronen Bergman, Mark Mazzetti and Farnaz Fassihi report stunning new details on Haniyeh’s assassination, which Middle Eastern officials say was carried out using “an explosive device covertly smuggled into the Tehran guesthouse” where he stayed two months prior: “Mr. Haniyeh was in Iran’s capital for the presidential inauguration. The bomb was detonated remotely … once it was confirmed that he was inside his room.” While many had theorized the Hamas leader was killed by an Israeli airstrike, “the assassins were able to exploit a different kind of gap in Iran’s defenses: a lapse in the security of a supposedly tightly guarded compound that allowed a bomb to be planted and to remain hidden for many weeks before it would eventually be triggered.” 2. TIME FOR A REBOOT: After a controversy-filled two weeks as Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD VANCE is working to reintroduce himself to voters in a slew of new media appearances, CNN’s Steve Contorno and Alayna Treene report. The freshman senator’s calendar is filling up with visits to key battleground states, including Nevada, Arizona and Georgia, while “there are plans for him to sit for a series of interviews with conservative and mainstream media outlets.” In an interview with NOTUS’s Reese Gorman, Vance pushed to move on from the unflattering media attention, saying he was “confident” of Trump’s support: “Look, it’s the same thing they did to DICK CHENEY, the same thing they did to MIKE PENCE,” Vance said. “I think that any Republican who comes out of the gate as the new VP nominee is gonna get attacked.” On his “childless cat lady” comment: “They’ve said that I’ve criticized people for being infertile. I did not say that. That is a 100% lie. What I have said is that there are elements of the far left that have become explicitly anti-family, and I’d like us to fix that.” On his views of Project 2025: “There are some things I like about it, and some ideas in there that I strongly disagree with. It’s just insane to say that anybody other than Donald Trump speaks for Donald Trump. … I think in any 900-page document, you’re going to find things you like and things you dislike.” 3. DEPT. OF NOT GONNA HAPPEN: As the Senate wraps up their last day before their summer recess, Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER introduced a long-shot bill that would effectively overturn the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling, NBC News’ Sahil Kapur and Megan Lebowitz report. Dubbed the “No Kings Act,” the legislation would “make it clear that Congress has the power to determine ‘to whom federal criminal laws may be applied,’ not the Supreme Court.” And while the legislation already has over two dozen Democratic signatures, its chances of clearing a Senate filibuster and the GOP-controlled House are next to zero.
| | | | DID YOU MISS IT? On Tuesday, POLITICO and McKinsey convened three conversations in D.C. with policymakers and space experts, including NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. The discussions also featured a panel of experts, an interview with Sens. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) and an executive conversation with McKinsey's Ryan Brukardt.
The conversations focused on the next great innovation frontier – the space industry, including deeper discussion around which sectors of the global economy see their growth arc in space and what the role of government leaders is in expanding and regulating the growing number of orbital ideas. CATCH UP AND WATCH HIGHLIGHTS HERE | | | | | 4. SQUAD GOALS: With all eyes on Rep. CORI BUSH’s (D-Mo.) heated primary next week, Nicholas Wu dives deep on how Bush’s opponent, county prosecutor WESLEY BALL, is turning into a litmus test for the party’s pro-Israel factions: “Although Democratic divides over Israel have barely factored into the race, the influx of outside spending prompted by the Israel policy fight have transformed it. Pro-Bell billboards dotted the city’s skyline, and ads funded by AIPAC’s political arm — the group’s super PAC has spent nearly $7 million — slamming Bush’s record and boosting Bell are inescapable on television.” 5. REMEMBER THIS? “Narrowed version of Trump’s New York gag order will remain in place for now, appeals court rules,” by Erica Orden: “In late June, Trump succeeded in convincing the judge who imposed the gag order, Justice JUAN MERCHAN, to loosen the restrictions, allowing the former president to comment publicly on witnesses and jurors involved in Trump’s criminal trial … The panel concluded that despite Trump’s arguments otherwise, filings by Manhattan District Attorney ALVIN BRAGG’s office “demonstrate that threats received by District Attorney staff after the jury verdict continued to pose a significant and imminent threat.” 6. UP IN THE AIR: Taking another swing at regulating airline business practices, the Transportation Department proposed a new rule today that would ban airlines from charging parents more to sit with their children, AP’s Dee-Ann Durbin reports. Under the proposal, “U.S. and foreign carriers would be required to seat children 13 or younger next to their parent or accompanying adult for free. … If adjacent seats aren’t available when a parent books a flight, airlines would be required to let families choose between a full refund, or waiting to see if a seat opens up.” 7. MEDIAWATCH: “Don Lemon Sues Elon Musk Over Canceled X Deal,” by NYT’s Kate Conger: “[ELON] MUSK agreed to pay [DON] LEMON $1.5 million annually to produce videos exclusively on X, to give him a share of the advertising revenue from his videos. … Mr. Lemon did not sign a contract cementing the agreement, which he believed would be a launchpad for his new show after CNN fired him last year.”
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, our newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Wes Moore suited up for a Terps practice yesterday. OUT AND ABOUT — The Washington Government Relations Group hosted the 13th annual Tin Cup Awards Dinner last night to honor people who support African American government relations professionals and benefit minority students interested in the field. The honorees were Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Reps. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Dontai Smalls, Joyce Brayboy, Sesha Joi Moon and Symone Sanders-Townsend, who urged the crowd to “not let up and lean in to your radical revolutionary contribution.” Also SPOTTED: Reps. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) and Stacey Plaskett (D-Va.), Hassan Christian, Franklin Davis, Quincy Enoch, Maia Hunt Estes, Amanda Finney, Lauryl Jackson, Tasia Jackson, Rashida Jones, John Jones, Erica Loewe, Lance Mangum, Marcus Sebastian Mason and Nicole Venable. — IllumiNative and Native American Rights Fund yesterday hosted a series of advocacy events for the 100th anniversary of the Indian Citizenship Act, emphasizing the right to vote in Native communities. SPOTTED at a White House briefing, panel discussions, screenings and a reception at the Eaton D.C. hotel: Tom Perez, Neera Tanden, Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Justin Vail, Stephen Roe Lewis, Heidi Todacheene, Joshuah Marshall, Crystal Echo Hawk, Jacqueline De Léon, Jana Schmieding, Cara Jade Myers and Katie Phang. — SPOTTED last night at the Finland Embassy for Ambassador Mikko Hautala's farewell party with concert by Suspicious Package: Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho), Norwegian Ambassador Anniken Ramberg Krutnes, Austrian Ambassador Petra Schneebauer, Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova, James O'Brien, Tim Burger, Josh Meyer, Christina Sevilla, Bryan Greene, Robert Hagemann, Stuart Holliday, Jon Decker, Raquel Krähenbühl, Steve Rochlin, Tim Noviello, Riikka Hietajärvi and Yuri Kim. Pic Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us at 202-556-3307. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Mike DeBonis, deputy editor Zack Stanton and Playbook Daily Briefing producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
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