Graham: 'Absolutely' prisoner exchange helps Putin

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) slammed a prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Russia negotiated this week, claiming the move helps Russian President Vladimir Putin and encourages U.S. enemies to falsely arrest Americans.

Graham said in a “Fox New Sunday” interview with Jacqui Heinrich that the deal “absolutely” helps Putin.

“We've got a cycle here. You have trumped up charges against Americans,” he said. “You accused them of things they didn't do. You put them in jail, and you only release them when we have to release Russian spies and killers. This cycle needs to stop.”

The large-scale prisoner swap freed multiple Americans held in Russian captivity, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Marine veteran Paul Whelan. Released Russians included notable hitman Vadim Krasikov and multiple accused spies.

A dozen Germans held in Russia were also released in the deal. It was the largest swap since the end of the Cold War.

“At the end of the day. I think the Iranians see this is yet another sign of weakness,” Graham said. “The more thugs like Putin get rewarded for doing bad things, the more bad things you will get. So I'm worried that the Iranians and the Chinese are watching, and this is making all of our enemies more provocative, not less.”

The most notable American still detained in Russia is schoolteacher Marc Fogel, who was sentenced to 14 years in prison on drug trafficking charges. White House spokesperson John Kirby said Sunday that while the Biden administration attempted to include Fogel in the swap, negotiations were unsuccessful.

It was hailed by the White House as a legacy builder for the president. The deal was struck just hours before Biden decided to leave the 2024 campaign.

“Today’s exchange is a feat of diplomacy that honestly could only be achieved by a leader like Joe Biden,” Biden spokesperson Jake Sullivan said last week.