this post was submitted on 09 Jan 2024
100 points (95.5% liked)

World News

39485 readers
2154 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News [email protected]

Politics [email protected]

World Politics [email protected]


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

A U.S. citizen has been arrested on drug charges in Russia, officials said Tuesday, a move that comes amid soaring Russia-U.S. tensions over Ukraine.

The arrest of Robert Woodland Romanov was reported by the press service of the Moscow courts. It said the Ostankino District Court ruled on Saturday to keep him in custody for two months on charges of preparing to get involved in illegal drug trafficking pending an official investigation. It didn’t offer any details of the accusations.

Analysts have pointed out that Moscow could be using jailed Americans as bargaining chips amid U.S.-Russian tensions that soared when Russia sent troops into Ukraine. At least two U.S. citizens arrested in Russia in recent years — including WNBA star Brittney Griner — have been exchanged for Russians jailed in the U.S.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 year ago (1 children)

So this guy was interviewed in 2020, where he says he came to Russia looking for his birth mother, found her via a TV show, liked it in Russia, decided to stay there. Russia invaded Crimea in 2014, that was already known when he went there and decided to stay. Russia invaded Ukraine in Feb 2022, over a year at least since he'd been there, and he didn't leave: not at that moment, and not at any moment as Russia kept on with its war. We don't know exactly when he was arrested, but it seems that the US State Dept found out about it about a month ago.

I'm not saying the charges are fair, and I'm not saying that Russia isn't just trying to use this guy as a bargaining chip. But this situation really seems like one that could have been avoided before it got to this point. Pretty sure the State Dept would have helped him leave before it came to this, if that's what he wanted. That really doesn't make him a super valuable chip.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Yeah fuck this guy. He made his own bed, now he has to lie in it. I hope the US doesn't give up anything to get this guy out.