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There is one thing Vladimir Putin rarely does; go to the airport to pick up people who get off a plane. And, personally.
But last night he was on the tarmac at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport meeting and greeting Russians he had freed from foreign prisons; part of the largest prisoner swap between Russia and the West since the Cold War.
Ten people stepped off the plane, including spies, undercover agents, and a convicted murderer.
“Congratulations on returning to your motherland!” You he loves Altaïr.
You can tell the Kremlin believes it has something to celebrate.
There was a red carpet reception for the returning Russians. There were flowers everywhere, and some were hugged by the president. Mr. Putin embraced Vadim Krasikov, a Russian Federal Security Service assassin who is serving a life sentence in Germany for killing a Chechen dissident of Georgian descent.
President Putin promised to provide them with all state rewards.
“I want to speak to those who have a direct connection to military service.” He continued. “Thank you for your loyalty to your oath and your duty to your motherland, which has never forgotten you for a moment.”
Here is another message from pro-Kremlin media: congratulations to those who were released from Russian prisons and flown abroad.
“Eight Russians held in NATO countries have returned to their homeland in exchange for those who committed acts that endangered Russia’s national security.”, the government newspaper wrote.
Komsomolskaya Pravda stated, referring to the dissidents released by Moscow, that “They abandoned their former homes and went to the people who hired them“.
Attempts to discredit critics and opponents; heaping praise on loyal supporters who are portrayed as true patriots. All of this helps the authorities convey the message to the Russian people that the Kremlin’s prisoner swap was a success.
There is no doubt that the Kremlin sees the prisoner exchange as a victory for Moscow. She got what she wanted… She got her agents, including the man who didn’t have one. Number one on her wish list was Krasikov.
German authorities were initially reluctant to release a convicted killer who a German court found was acting on behalf of Russian authorities.
That reluctance has eased as the broader agreement has taken shape.
But why is it so important for the Kremlin to ensure Vadim Krasikov’s release and bring him home?
Today’s Russian newspapers provide a clue.
“We’re getting our kids back” This was the headline in the government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
“We won’t give up ours!” The tabloid “Putin Komsomolskaya Pravda”.
This is exactly the message the Kremlin wants to convey to its agents and spies: If we send you on a mission abroad and something goes wrong, we will find a way to get you home.
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