On Tuesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Source,” U.S. Hostage Envoy Adam Boehler stated that in exchange for Marc Fogel, there is not going to be a one-for-one exchange, but he thinks “you will see the President give consideration if there are some nonviolent people where maybe there [are] no issues one way or the other, but you will not see a one-for-one thing happening at the same time.”
Host Kaitlan Collins asked, “Did the U.S. or an ally release someone in exchange for Marc Fogel?”
Boehler answered, “Well, what happened here is there was consideration one way or another for a nonviolent criminal. And so, the United States gave some consideration, although it wasn’t linked one way or the other. And so, at the end of the day, what we wanted to do here is look at a step forward, and I think you see Russia making a step for the President, for President Trump, based on his focus on hostages.”
Collins then asked, “So, tell me what you mean by that, in terms of whether there was a direct exchange for this or is it an agreement to have a conversation about releasing other people from either the U.S. or other nations?”
Boehler responded, “For us, it was the start. This was a unilateral decision. It means, for us, we make and give thoughts to other people that are nonviolent from a Russia perspective. And so, it means the President’s open to things now because this was a first step one way or the other.”
Collins followed up, “Okay. So, it’s signaling a conversation for something to happen, but not an actual one-for-one exchange, as we’ve seen play out on the tarmac and in situations before. Do I have that right?”
Boehler answered, “Yeah. That’s correct. You won’t see an exchange go on right now. I think you will see the President give consideration if there are some nonviolent people where maybe there [are] no issues one way or the other, but you will not see a one-for-one thing happening at the same time.”
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